The leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) deepened at the weekend as Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) stakeholders demanded the immediate resignation of the union’s President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale.
In a statement signed on Sunday, September 21, 2025, by Comrade Preye Odede-Graham on behalf of PTD elders and stakeholders—Alhaji Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna Zone), Chief Edafe Osas (Warri Zone), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (Port Harcourt Zone), and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos Zone)—the group accused the two leaders of mismanagement, intimidation of members, and acts capable of plunging the union into extinction.
The call comes amid ongoing disputes between NUPENG, Dangote Refinery, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and other industry players.
PTD stakeholders blamed NUPENG’s current woes on what they described as the President’s “lacklustre attitude” and the General Secretary’s “harassment and victimization” of members. They alleged that Akporeha and Olawale have engaged in illegal levies, contempt of court, and misuse of the union to fight political battles.
“They have outlived their relevance, so they should leave now that their reputation is dwindling woefully,” the statement read. “If the duo are allowed to remain in office, their joint presence could drag the union into total disgrace both locally and internationally.”
The tanker drivers further commended the resilience of Dangote Refinery, urging President Bola Tinubu to increase crude supply to the refinery, discourage fuel importation through higher tariffs, and support nationalisation of oil wells to revive moribund sites.
Accusing the NUPENG leaders of turning the union into a personal fiefdom, the PTD elders called on the federal government, law enforcement agencies, anti-graft bodies, industry regulators, and civil society to back efforts to “re-engineer NUPENG” by removing Akporeha and Olawale.
They noted that several affiliate members of NUPENG have already passed a vote of no confidence on the duo, insisting that their exit is critical to restoring the dignity of the union and protecting workers’ welfare in the deregulated petroleum sector.
