The National Union of Road Transport Workers has challenged the claim by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Osun State office that it is unaware of the union’s leadership dispute, insisting that Comrade Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa remains the legally recognised national president based on subsisting court judgments.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Baruwa-led leadership described INEC’s position as misleading and inaccurate, alleging that the electoral body was preparing to engage an unauthorised faction of the union to provide logistics support for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.
The union maintained that the Court of Appeal had delivered judgments affirming Baruwa as the duly elected National President of the NURTW, adding that his National Executive Council is the only body empowered to enter into agreements on behalf of the union, including the existing Memorandum of Understanding with INEC on election logistics.
The statement also dismissed the legitimacy of any other group claiming to represent the union in Osun State, particularly those allegedly linked to Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
According to the union, Akinsanya publicly renounced his membership of the NURTW on March 10, 2022, and is therefore not a party to the memorandum of understanding between the union and INEC.
The Baruwa-led leadership urged the Osun State office of INEC to refrain from accrediting or engaging any group outside its recognised leadership for the transportation of election personnel and materials.
It warned that any logistics arrangement reached with an unauthorised faction would be null and void and would amount to a violation of existing court judgments.
The union further threatened legal action if the electoral body failed to comply, stating that INEC’s national headquarters had already been served with certified true copies of the relevant court judgments.
Reaffirming its commitment to the conduct of peaceful elections, the union said it remained dedicated to its partnership with INEC under the existing memorandum of understanding to ensure the safe and timely movement of election materials and personnel in Osun State and across the country.
It added that all official engagements relating to election logistics should be conducted exclusively through the office of the National President, Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, at the union’s national secretariat in Abuja.