Osun APC Slams Adeleke’s NURTW Ban, claiming the directive violates constitutional rights and urging the governor to reverse the order
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s directive suspending activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) across the state, describing the action as unconstitutional and beyond the governor’s powers.
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The opposition party said the order directing security agencies to stop NURTW operations and arrest individuals presenting themselves as union officials lacked legal backing and could undermine constitutional protections.
The reaction was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, following the governor’s directive after a security meeting.
Adeleke had instructed the police and other security agencies to immediately halt NURTW activities at motor parks across Osun and arrest anyone claiming to represent the union’s leadership structure. The move followed concerns over an internal leadership dispute within the transport union.
The APC argued that the governor’s intervention amounted to interference in the affairs of a legally registered association, citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which guarantees citizens’ right to freedom of association.
The party said the directive was not supported by law and questioned the legal guidance available to the state government.
“The latest illegal directive issued by the outgoing Governor Adeleke dabbling into the affairs of the management of the motor parks by the NURTW across the state, which is an association duly registered, puts to question the quality of those offering legal advice to the embattled governor,” the APC said.
The party also stated that the dispute should be addressed through lawful channels rather than executive action, arguing that security agencies should not enforce what it described as an unlawful directive.
The criticism comes after the governor’s order followed a leadership crisis within the NURTW, which had already resulted in tensions surrounding the management of transport unions in the state. The APC said local government chairmen and transport stakeholders had earlier agreed to establish caretaker committees while awaiting further engagement with the union’s national leadership.
The opposition party referenced a previous Court of Appeal decision involving the Oyo State Government and the NURTW, where it said the suspension of union activities by Governor Seyi Makinde in 2019 was declared unlawful.
According to the APC, the appellate court held that while state governments have a responsibility to maintain public order, such powers must be exercised within constitutional limits and cannot be used to suspend a registered association without proper legal authority.
The party maintained that allegations of misconduct should be handled through security investigations and judicial processes rather than blanket restrictions on union activities.
The APC urged Adeleke to withdraw the directive, describing it as “repugnant, ultra vires, illegal, overreaching and grossly unconstitutional”, while expressing confidence that the order would not survive legal scrutiny if challenged in court.
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The dispute adds another layer to tensions between the Osun State government and opposition parties over the management of transport unions and public order, with potential legal proceedings expected to determine the scope of executive authority in such matters.
