Fresh drama has engulfed the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) as Tajudeen Baruwa forcefully asserted control of the union’s national secretariat in Abuja, effectively displacing Musiliu Akinsanya as president—only to be arrested hours later by police.
Baruwa, backed by loyalists, stormed the union’s headquarters in the early hours of Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in the protracted leadership crisis that has fractured the influential transport body since 2024.
Addressing supporters after the takeover, Baruwa insisted the move was not an act of aggression but the lawful execution of court judgments which, according to him, affirmed his position as the legitimate president of the union. He disclosed that security agencies had been duly notified and furnished with copies of the relevant rulings prior to the action.
The leadership tussle between Baruwa and MC Oluomo has been shaped by a series of legal battles, with recent rulings from the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal reportedly tilting recognition in Baruwa’s favour.
However, the situation took another twist when police operatives moved in and arrested Baruwa shortly after he led his faction to seize the secretariat, raising fresh questions about the enforcement of the court decisions and the stability of the union’s leadership.
The crisis dates back to November 2024, when MC Oluomo emerged as National President following an internal election. The outcome was later contested in court, culminating in rulings that emboldened Baruwa’s claim to the position.
With both camps still locked in a supremacy battle, the latest developments signal that the NURTW leadership crisis is far from over, as tensions continue to simmer within one of Nigeria’s most powerful unions.
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