In a country where the law is meant to be supreme, one man has decided that it’s simply not enough. Musiliu “MC Oluomo” Akinsanya, who recently had his presidency of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) nullified by the Court of Appeal, has decided to throw the law out the window and go ahead with assuming office anyway.
How is it possible that someone would blatantly ignore a court order? This isn’t just an isolated incident this is an open challenge to the judicial system. One would think that after a court ruling clearly reaffirmed Ibikunle Baruwa as the rightful president, MC Oluomo would gracefully step down, but no, he seems to believe that he is above the law. This move raises troubling questions about the state of the judiciary in Nigeria how can citizens have faith in the courts if people like MC Oluomo can simply dismiss their rulings with impunity?
For context, MC Oluomo had been elected unopposed as the national president of NURTW, but the court decided differently. A three-member appellate panel, consisting of Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, nullified his presidency. Not only did they affirm the decision of the National Industrial Court, but they also ordered that Oluomo pay N100,000 in costs to the respondents. Clearly, the law spoke loud and clear—yet here we are, watching a man declare himself president anyway.
Femi Falana, the respected human rights lawyer, has called for the immediate reinstatement of Baruwa and demanded that the federal government take action. But this is Nigeria, right? Where power dynamics are often stronger than the courts. Falana has urged the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police to take swift action, but will they? History suggests that those who believe they’re untouchable rarely face consequences.
MC Oluomo’s actions demonstrate that in some circles, the law is merely a suggestion, not a mandate. Let’s see if the courts and authorities are willing to prove us wrong or if they’ll just let this farce continue, as usual.
