Lagos transportation plans are current, and Oluomo is not participating – REC.

The Independent National Electoral Commission was prohibited from using the Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its commercial bus drivers in the distribution of election materials for the February 25 and March 11 elections by Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday.

Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, a leader of the transport union and a supporter of the state’s governing All Progressives Congress, is the chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee.

Following a request for an interlocutory injunction made by the Labour Party, African Democratic Congress, and Boot Party, Justice Aneke issued a restraining order on Monday.

The parties filed the lawsuit in Lagos with their candidates for governor, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (LP), Funsho Doherty (ADC), and Wale Oluwo (Boot Party).

In the lawsuit, INEC is the only defendant.

The temporary interlocutory injunction was approved by the court after hearing from plaintiffs’ attorney Abass Ibrahim.

The attorney claimed in the affidavit submitted in support of the lawsuit that the Lagos State Government ended the National Union of Road Transport Workers’ operations in the state in April 2022.

The state government established the Lagos State Parks Management Committee to manage the issues of commercial bus drivers, vehicle parks, and garages in the state in lieu of the NURTW, of which MC Oluomo was a chieftain.

Prior to April 2022, the NURTW, according to him, was the primary manager and controller of the garages, motor parks, and commercial bus drivers in Lagos State.

As soon as the Lagos State Parks Management Committee was established, the attorney claimed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu “appointed a popular thug, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, who is a strong supporter of the APC, the APC governorship candidate in Lagos, and the APC presidential candidate, as the committee chairman.”

The deponent acknowledged being aware of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee under MC Oluomo’s leadership having written to INEC on January 12, 2023, offering logistical suggestions for the dispersal of election people and supplies in Lagos State.

On January 16, 2023, the defendant got the letter. On that day, it was reported in the national media that the defendant had appointed the Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, led Lagos State Parks Management Committee to distribute election materials and staff throughout Lagos.

“On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, confirmed that they had no choice but to cooperate with the MC Oluomo-led Lagos State Parks Management Committee during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting at INEC.”

The deponent claimed to be aware of MC Oluomo’s affiliation with the APC and his ardent support for Bola Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate.

He claims that MC Oluomo was once reported as saying: “I am a faithful supporter of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Jagaban, I wear the Jagaban shirt, and I’ve been a loyalist since 1999.”

The claimed his clients were concerned that the polls will be rigged in favor of the APC if INEC employed the MC Oluomo-led committee to distribute election materials.

“I have listened to the argument of counsel and have reviewed the motion with affidavit of urgency and reasons for the application,” Justice Aneke said in a judgment. The application had validity, in my opinion. I thus grant the interlocutory injunctive order.

The judge ordered that INEC be served with all of the court documents in the petition and postponed the hearing on the substantive lawsuit until February 22.

The court also mandated that the INEC get a notice of the hearing.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos, Olusegun Agbaje, responded to the decision by telling one of our journalists that he was unaware of the complaint since he hadn’t been served.

Nobody here is dealing with Oluomo, he continued. I repeated it several times. We have nothing to do with Oluomo. The local government level is where the cars’ owners reside. Anyone who asserts that Oluomo is involved must back up their claims with proof. Additionally, in Lagos State, mobilization is not an issue.

“In INEC Lagos State, we don’t have any difficulties at all. Everything is working just as planned. Because no one served any court documents on us, we are unaware of any court judgments. Oluomo is not initially involved in the problem. We are continuing with our plan and have nothing to worry about.