King West under fire as court sacks MC Oluomo as NURTW president

By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has declared Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa as the legally recognized President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

His recognition nullified the recent appointment of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as the Union’s President.

The decision has drawn reactions, particularly on social media, as many Nigerians criticized the circumstances surrounding MC Oluomo’s appointment and the congratulatory messages that followed.

Legal dispute

MC Oluomo was elected unopposed on Saturday during an election held at the Union’s Zonal Secretariat along the Osogbo/Ikirun Road in Osun State.

However, his inauguration came despite existing court judgments that recognized Baruwa as the legitimate president of NURTW.

At a press briefing on Friday, November 15, Baruwa denounced MC Oluomo’s election as an affront to judicial authority. He cited judgments from the National Industrial Court on March 11, 2024, and the Court of Appeal on November 8, which restrained any interference with the Baruwa-led national executives of the union.

Calling for intervention from the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation, Baruwa stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law to maintain peace and order within the Union.

Court’s ruling

The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal filed by Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, and other supporters of MC Oluomo. The three-member panel of Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi ruled in favor of Baruwa and awarded N100,000 in costs against the appellants.

The court upheld the March 11 ruling of the National Industrial Court, affirming Baruwa’s position as the legally elected President of NURTW.

News of the ruling has stirred different comments online, with netizens trolling MC Oluomo, his supporters, and celebrities who celebrated his controversial election.

• Francis Osazuwa: “I thought his son said they own Nigeria?”
• Brenda Anukagod_: “What happens to Iyabo Ojo’s congratulatory messages now?”
• _ultraboi: “Make them arrest that his son, lock him for life. Omo oshi.”
• Shillow_money: “What will now happen to those congratulatory messages?”
• 1maclex: “Wetin go come happen to those congratulations?”
• Ymbest_: “Where is that mumu wey dey na them they control the whole Nigeria now?”
• Lizzy Bae507: “What will now happen to the son now?”

Recall that King West, the son of MC Oluomo, has stirred reactions on social media after posting a photo of his father with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu  earlier this week.