What Could MC Oluomo’s NURTW Presidency Mean for Nigeria’s Elections?

On Saturday, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, was elected the new President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in an unopposed election.

For many who know MC Oluomo, it is not surprising that the election was unopposed; nor will it be shocking that he has now reached the pinnacle of the union he joined as a young boy.

However, there could be deeper insights into the role MC Oluomo would play as the national President of NURTW.

NURTW: A Union Used for Political Thuggery

Founded in 1978 to replace the Nigerian Road Transport Union, the NURTW was initially intended to be an independent union serving the interests of transport workers in the road transport sector.

Over the years, however, dating as far back as Nigeria’s Second Republic (1979-1983), the NURTW has become a crucial political tool. Its services were enlisted to support the emergence of Bola Ige as governor of Oyo State and Lateef Jakande as Lagos State Governor, notably through the deployment of NURTW-affiliated thugs to carry out statewide intimidation and voter suppression.

From the Second Republic to the Fourth Republic during the 2023 Presidential election, the NURTW has become embedded in Nigerian politics, often employed by state actors to win elections either through ballot box snatching or by using threats and intimidation to keep the strongholds of opposing politicians in a state of fear that prevents residents from voting.

In 2007, Lekan Balogun, a former Oyo State senator, stated:

“I would call for the complete proscription of NURTW. They do not have any purpose. They are available for negative activities, including thuggery, and they (politicians) draw their thugs from there.”

This sentiment is perhaps shared by many Nigerians who have been disenfranchised due to the intimidation that NURTW members have allegedly exerted during elections.

What NURTW Could Become Under MC Oluomo

During the 2023 election, MC Oluomo, then the chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, an entity formed by the Lagos State government after he was suspended by NURTW’s national headquarters, warned voters—particularly Igbos—in a viral video to stay at home if they were considering voting for any political party other than the All Progressives Congress (APC):

“When we (Yoruba) finish voting, we’ll be watching because we have begged you and you said you have heard. If you make a mistake, you will understand. Please tell them, we have begged them. If they don’t vote for us, it is not a fight. Tell them that, Chukwudi’s mother, if you don’t vote for us, sit down at home. Do you understand? Sit down at home,” he said.

This was perceived as a threat after Bola Tinubu lost Lagos State to Peter Obi, an Igbo candidate. It was believed that if measures were not taken, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor, might lose his reelection if Lagos Igbos voted en masse against APC.

Although he later recanted, saying it was a joke, there was widespread voter suppression on the day of the governorship election, with videos showing people being intimidated or harassed at various polling units simply because they “looked Igbo.”

Born on March 14, 1975, in Oshodi, Lagos, MC Oluomo dropped out of school in primary three following his father’s death. He left home to become a bus conductor at Oshodi Park, one of the largest parks in Lagos State.

Throughout his life, MC Oluomo remained active in the park, eventually becoming a driver, then a toll collector for the NURTW, before rising to become the union’s treasurer at Oshodi. However, as the chairmanship of the NURTW was highly contested and often violent, MC Oluomo’s ambition of becoming state chairman remained a dream until 2019, when he was appointed acting chairman.

“I cannot but also thank my father, my leader, my mentor, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his love and support toward my emergence as NURTW chairman. He’s truly a father and a father indeed,” he said.

Some would argue, perhaps rightly so, that MC Oluomo’s appointment as Lagos chairman in 2019 was a calculated political move by Tinubu, a figure many consider a political strategist, possibly one of the best in the country.

The same argument could be made in light of his election as the union’s national president, given that the NURTW has evolved into a vehicle that often executes the political bidding of its patrons.

How NURTW Could Be Used in the 2027 Election

Although established to advocate for the welfare of road transport workers, one could argue that the NURTW now serves less the interest of nearly two million workers and more as a crucial political mechanism.

During elections, the NURTW often partners with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transport election materials. This role is crucial, as the timely arrival of voting materials is essential to the smooth running of elections in various polling units.

In the last presidential election, several polling units, particularly in the Southeast, experienced delayed arrivals of voting materials. This raises the question: Won’t this issue be magnified during the 2027 presidential election if MC Oluomo remains NURTW’s national president?

Ahead of the 2023 election, when MC Oluomo was overseeing Lagos parks and garages, opposition parties in Lagos feared that his services might be used to disenfranchise their strongholds. A court ruling eventually barred INEC from using his services.

Yet, what other infrastructure could INEC use to transport election materials to over 176,000 polling units in Nigeria if not by utilizing the NURTW?

A report estimates that the Lagos chapter of the NURTW, through thugs who collect taxes from drivers, generates over N120 billion annually, a substantial portion of which is reportedly not remitted to the state government.

With MC Oluomo in charge of the NURTW nationwide, he could potentially expand his financial empire, giving him the resources to carry out political activities across many states, from Northern Nigeria, to Southeast part of the country.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or position of Neusroom or its editorial team.