The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reaffirmed Dr. Musa Mohammed as the duly elected Executive President of the Road Transport Empl...
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reaffirmed Dr. Musa Mohammed as the duly elected Executive President of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), effectively drawing the curtain on a prolonged leadership dispute that has roiled the association since 2018.
In a judgment delivered in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CB/467/2021, the appellate court struck out the case filed by Mr. Eriyo Osakpamwan, describing it as academic and lacking legal relevance, since the contested tenure (2018–2023) had already elapsed and fresh elections had been conducted.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, and supported by Justices Abba Bello Mohammed and Eberechi Suzette Nyesom-Wike, unanimously ruled that the appeal was no longer justiciable.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Abba Bello Mohammed stated:
"A suit is academic when it is of no practical value to the parties involved. The tenure in question expired in 2023, and a new leadership is already in place. This court cannot turn back the clock."
Concurring, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike emphasized that the matter had lost its utilitarian value:
“The tenure of Alhaji Musa Mohammed which is being challenged, elapsed in 2023, while we are now in 2025. This appeal is therefore of no utilitarian value to any of the parties. Even though the appeal presented a live issue in 2021 when it was entered, it has since become purely theoretical. I concur that the appeal, being academic, ought to be struck out.”
The legal battle stemmed from a 2020 judgment of the National Industrial Court (NIC), which declared the emergence of Osakpamwan and Mr. Yusuf Ibrahim Adeniyi as National President and Secretary-General respectively as unlawful. The court upheld earlier resolutions by RTEAN’s National Executive Council (NEC) in 2018 and 2019, which confirmed Dr. Musa Mohammed as the association’s authentic leader.
Osakpamwan subsequently appealed the NIC decision on seven grounds, but later withdrew six, leaving only a jurisdictional question: whether the NIC had the authority to entertain the matter without exhausting conciliation or arbitration, as required by the Trade Disputes Act.
While the Court of Appeal acknowledged that such procedural steps are essential, it ruled that the jurisdictional issue was now moot, since the tenure in dispute had ended, and the matter had become legally redundant.
With the appellate court's ruling, the curtain has finally fallen on a five-year leadership tussle that divided the association.
Reacting to the judgment, Dr. Musa Mohammed praised the judiciary for upholding the rule of law and thanked RTEAN members nationwide for their patience and solidarity.
“This ruling is a testament to the strength of our democratic institutions and the resilience of RTEAN’s internal governance. We are moving forward — united, focused, and ready to serve the interests of all transport employers across Nigeria.”
He also extended a hand of reconciliation to past challengers, urging unity for the greater good of the association and the nation.
“Let us put the past behind us and focus on building a stronger RTEAN that will contribute meaningfully to national development.”
In a statement released by its national secretariat, RTEAN reaffirmed its commitment to lawful leadership, transparency, and the welfare of its members, signaling a new era of stability within one of Nigeria’s key transport unions.
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