Oyo NURTW suspension overturned as Appeal Court rules Governor Makinde acted unlawfully in proscribing the union in 2019 without legal justification
Oyo NURTW suspension overturned — the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan has declared that Governor Seyi Makinde’s 2019 proscription of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Oyo State was unlawful and unsupported by evidence.
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Delivering judgment on Friday, a three-member panel led by Justice Kenneth Amadi ruled in favour of the union, setting aside both the suspension order and the earlier verdict of the National Industrial Court, which had upheld the state’s action.
Governor Makinde had ordered the suspension on 31 May 2019, citing alleged breaches of peace and directing that all motor parks be taken over by the state government.
However, the union, through its counsel, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), challenged the decision in court, arguing that the state lacked the legal authority to suspend a trade union registered under the Trade Union Act.
The lower court initially dismissed the case in 2022, but the Oyo NURTW suspension overturned development marks a significant legal and political reversal for the state government.
Justice Amadi noted in his judgment that no credible evidence was presented to prove that the union’s activities disrupted law and order.
“Nowhere in the counter-affidavit did the respondents aver specific acts of violence or breach of peace caused by the union,” Amadi said. “The appeal succeeds. The suspension is hereby set aside.”
Concurring, Justice Biobele Georgewill condemned the state’s approach, stating that any alleged illegality by the union should have been addressed through lawful means and existing security structures—not by executive overreach.
“If the union’s activities were violent, they should have been handled by the police and other lawful agencies.
The state cannot use unlawful means to address perceived illegality,” he ruled.
The case reinforces the legal boundaries between executive power and trade union rights. It also underscores the importance of due process in matters of public order.
With the Oyo NURTW suspension overturned, questions may now arise about restitution, compensation, and the status of motor park management in the state.
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Legal analysts have noted the ruling could influence similar cases in other states where transport unions have been suspended or replaced by government-backed structures.
