URIWA condemns alleged Tinubu’s selective enforcement of law

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is selective in applying the rule of law, highlighting instances of alleged impunity among his allies.
The group expressed concern over the repeated disregard for court rulings and legal standards by individuals closely linked to the President, particularly Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo and questioned the role of security agencies in enabling such actions.
Days after the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified his position, MC Oluomo forced his way into office as the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). This decision came despite a ruling from a three-member appellate panel upholding Ibikunle Baruwa as the legitimate leader of the union. The panel reaffirmed a National Industrial Court judgment from March, which recognized Baruwa’s presidency and ordered MC Oluomo to pay N100,000 in costs.
The advocacy group said that despite MC Oluomo’s repeated defiance of legal orders, including recent judgments by the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal, security agencies such as the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) have shown a tendency to look the other way. HURIWA alleged that the presidency has indirectly sanctioned this behaviour, questioning why President Tinubu’s administration appears to protect individuals like MC Oluomo while cracking down on others.
The controversy surrounding MC Oluomo is just one example of what HURIWA described as the institutionalization of impunity among those closely linked to the President.
The human rights organisation further criticized the extension of service for key figures in law enforcement, such as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), whose retirement was controversially overturned through a retroactive legal amendment. HURIWA argued that such actions erode public trust in Nigeria’s legal framework, giving the impression that loyalty to the President, rather than adherence to the rule of law, determines who faces consequences.
“HURIWA also expressed concern over the silence of President Tinubu during past incidents involving his close allies. It recalled that during the Lagos State gubernatorial elections, MC Oluomo made threatening statements against Igbo communities, which were widely condemned but left unaddressed by the then-president-elect. The group highlighted that MC Oluomo’s tenure at NURTW has been marred by allegations of violence and internal crises, often with the apparent support of the police, yet the presidency has taken no action to curb his excesses.
The association warned that the continued tolerance of such behaviour threatens to destabilize Nigeria’s democracy, eroding the rule of law and undermining public confidence in the country’s institutions.
It urged President Tinubu to demonstrate leadership by ensuring that justice is not only done but seen to be done, particularly when it involves his political allies. HURIWA asserted that Nigeria cannot afford to allow individuals, no matter how politically significant, to act with impunity while ordinary citizens face the full force of the law for far lesser offenses.