The National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya, has declared that no state governor in Nigeria has the authority to suspend the activities of the union.

Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, made this assertion on Friday during the inauguration of a seven-man caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of parks and garages in Osun State.

His statement follows reports that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, ordered the suspension of NURTW activities across motor parks in the state due to ongoing clashes and rising violence.

The directive, communicated through the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, also included a ban on the collection of levies in parks. Security agencies were instructed to arrest anyone parading as a union official during the suspension period.

The crisis within the union reportedly began after a faction led by Kazeem Oyewale protested against the leadership of the Osun NURTW Chairman, Nurudeen Alowonle.

Speaking through his Deputy, Aliyu Issa Ore, Akinsanya insisted that the decision of the Osun State Government contravenes existing legal provisions and court rulings.

He maintained that the union operates under a national legal framework and is not subject to the control of any state government.

“No state governor has the power to suspend the activities of our union. We are governed by an Act, and there are court pronouncements backing our position,” Ore stated.

He added that similar attempts by state governments in places like Oyo State and Lagos State have been challenged and overturned in court.

Ore explained that the inauguration of the caretaker committee was necessary to ensure continuity of leadership in Osun, especially ahead of the forthcoming governorship election. He noted that the NURTW has an existing Memorandum of Understanding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the distribution of electoral materials.

The newly inaugurated committee, chaired by Oyewale, will oversee union activities in the state pending the resolution of the leadership crisis.