The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has described the purported Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held by the Alhaji Najeem Yasin and AlhajiTajudeen Agbede-led dissidents' group as illegal, unconstitutional and null and void.
The union disclosed this in a statement signed by the incumbent President, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa on Thursday in Abuja.
The statement noted that the union had in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the union Article 8, section 2 (1 ) conducted its 10th Quadrennial National Delegate Conference August 23, 2023 at Lafia, Nasarawa State and national officers were duly sworn-in and inaugurated.
The union also stated the Constitution of the union did not provide for the acting president where there was a substantive president.
The statement read "The attention of the leadership of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has been drawn to a kangaroo National Quadrennial Delegates Conference purportedly held by Alhaji Najeem /Agbede's led dissidents group on Wednesday 25th October, 2023 at Maha event center Abuja.
"For the avoidance of doubt, the said delegates’ conference is not only a sham but also unconstitutional, illegal and null and void for the following reasons;
"The NURTW is creation is the law and has an approved constitution that guides its operations and activities. The Constitution of the union in Article 8, 2(1) stipulates that the National Delegates Conference shall be held every four (4) years in the month of August. The above provision of the constitution of the union is not ambiguous but mandatory and conclusive. So holding the National Delegates Conference in the month of October is a clear breach of the Constitution of the union.
"It is on record that the National Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the union has been held in accordance with the dictates of the Constitution of the union in August 23rd 2023 at Lafia Nasarawa State, where in the National officers elected at the zonal delegates conference in May 24th 2023 were duly sworn-in and formally inaugurated.
"The Constitution of the onion does not provide for the acting president where there is substantive president. In 1999 of the Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the union held in Enugu, Enugu State where the election could not produce a clear winner for the office of the President, the election was therefore declared inconclusive as the supplementary election could not hold because Najeem Yasin who has penchant for trouble refused to show up. There was no acting President even though other national officers emerged.
"Similarly, the same scenario played out in 2019 where the same Alh. Najeem in his subversive tendency wanted to install his kinsman Alh. Aliyu Isa Ore as acting President having deliberately created an unconducive atmosphere to prevent zone two delegates conference from holding.
"Alhaji Najeem the schemer was stopped from carrying out his evil intention by the robust National Administrative Council ( NAC ) members. Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa eventually emerged as President through the picking ballots between him and Alh. Tajudeen Badru Agbede"
Baruwa therefore called on the union members, general public and relevant authorities to disregard the kangaroo delegates conference adding that the conference and its organisers lacks legitimacy and should not be taken seriously.
"On the strength of the above foregoing we hereby condemn in its entirety the purported delegates conference wherein one Alh. Isa Ore was sworn-in as deputy President and mandated to act as President when there is already substantive president in the person of Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa.
"It would be recalled that the same set of the people in the early hours of 28th August 2023 forcefully broke into the National Secretariat of the union with hired thugs and hoodlums in their hundreds and have occupied the same since then.
"The general public and all relevant authorities are hereby advised to disregard the purported delegates conference as the organisers and the conference itself lacks legitimacy therefore it is unconstitutional, illegal and null and void and of no effect,” the statement added.