The National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW ) has described the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held by Najeem Yasin and Tajudeen Agbede led group as illegal and unconstitutional.

The union disclosed this in a statement signed by its President, 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 10^thQuadrennial National Delegate Conference August 23, 2023 at Lafia, Nasarawa State, and national officers were duly sworn-in and inaugurated.

The union also stated its Constitution does not provide for the acting president where there is 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 25^thOctober, 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 23^rd2023 at Lafia Nasarawa State, where in the National officers elected at the zonal delegates conference in May 24^th2023 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 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 wanted his kinsman, Alh. Aliyu Isa Ore, as acting President.

“Alhaji Najeem 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”

The statement added that Najeem was bent on “perpetrating illegality” with the view to deceiving a few gullible people.

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. (Daily Trust)