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…divisions, wasteful expenditures, Installation Of Ghost National Chairman

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa and Prosper Olayiwola

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG has condemned in strongest term the two years internal divisions, reckless and wasteful expenditures, and a crisis of identity within its circle after admitting that the hijack of the Branch by the President and the General Secretary, Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale has led to the manipulation of its extant rules and destruction of the Union’s operations and administration.

The aggrieved PTD critical stakeholders known as “Concerned Elders League” also cited desecration of its two sacred Delegates Conferences, abuse of Court orders, high-handedness, wasteful expenditures, corruption/avarice, and disrespect for elders/founding fathers of the Union, adding that those factors are responsible for the protracted woes in the Branch since October 31, 2023, precisely two years ago.

PTD in a statement made available to newsmen after a closed-door meeting amidst tight security which held at Oriental Hotel on Friday, October 31, 2025 said they are saddened by the prolonged crisis that have ravaged the Union for 24 months and still no sign to salvage its prospects and put its house in order.

According to the jointly signed statement by Comrades Kolapo Muse-Showunmi, Khalid Adamu, Christopher Owheyre and Kingsley Amadi, PTD maintained that the October 31, 2023, and Wednesday July 3, 2024 Special Delegates Conferences held in Abuja twice, where Lucky Osesua was elected National Chairman remain the valid and legitimate electoral processes recognised by the law and members of the Branch.

It also highlighted how Lucky Osesua, had earlier been elected National Chairman on 30th of June 2022, but his election alongside other members of his executive was nullified on 24th of July 2023, by Justice Bashar Akali of the National lndustrial Court, NIC, Yenagoa Division.

The union explained that the annulment followed a petition by one Godwin Ewhrudjakpor, challenging the eligibility of Osesua to contest, and the legality of the newly approved Bye Laws of the Branch used for the election. The Drivers argued that the said nullification had since been appealed in court and that they are sure of victory in record time.

PTD further expressed disappointment that the Union has conducted 3 Delegates Conferences within three years back to back, and none had given any headway to the Union due to infractions like discrimination, contempt of Court, electoral process manipulation, lack of ideological clarity and non-inclusivity among other things.

The PTD’s strategy appears to revolve around rekindling old alliances and mending fractured relationships but its efforts were said to be consistently stalled by the overzealous, unbridled and belligerent General Secretary, who preferred to sink with the crisis rather than make the Union attain any peace or progress.

PTD statement reads in part,

“Today made it exactly two years since the protracted crisis in PTD broke out on Tuesday October 31, 2023. It is a big shame that the leadership of NUPENG particularly the President and the General Secretary Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale are never perturbed about this ugly and destructive situation simply because they are benefiting and relishing in the 24 months crisis for their personal gains and selfish interests at the expense of the Union, especially PTD which is adjudged to be the goose that lays the golden eggs.

“Without mincing words, today Friday October 31, 2025 should be a mourning day for NUPENG because of the reputational and monumental damage its shenanigan has caused since 2023. It is a two years of anniversary crisis that should call for introspection, stock taking, repentance, and reconciliation if only they are discerning and forward-looking. This is the time to positively change the trajectory of the Union and all the existing Branches under it.

“We also want the world to know that we have also not backed down on our demand that the President of NUPENG, General Secretary and their surrogates in PTD should refund all illegal dues and levies collected from truck drivers and the management at MRS depot and Dangote Refinery or face litigation and ‘international ridicule’. This 14-day ultimatum which was issued on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 has long lapsed. As these individuals have failed to dignify our call with any response we have subsequently advised our legal counsels three of whom are Senior Advocate of Nigeria to accordingly serve them notice. We would update the public on this crucial case as things progress in this regard.

“We are also shocked to see that that the gross misconduct, manipulation and abuse of power by these powermongers are yet to abate just as we learnt that the Chairman of the Lagos Zone of PTD, Saheed Gbolahan Adigun is now demanding from the Lagos Zonal Council to do him a refund of almost 1 billion naira (over 940 million naira). Nigerians, can you see how PTD’s resources are being squandered and wasted without transparency or accountability? Two Delegates Conferences in two years, Dangote’s refinery Struggle, Ejigbo Struggle, two failed elections in Ibadan 2023, and in Lagos 2024, etc.

“The Union has lost direction and has failed its members, but prefers to extort and milk them dry to satisfy the selfish fantasies of a selected few. Almost 1 billion naira as refund to a Branch Zonal Chairman??? The questions are, where did he get the money from outside the Union work? Who was Saheed Gbolahan Adigun before he joined the Union? Who is he expecting to refund him that amount of money? So, an individual sponsored two elections in two years back to back?
It is high time EFCC investigated him in the interest of our members and the nation.

“Up till today no one can account for the whereabouts of the imposter that NUPENG planted in PTD as National Chairman in person of Augustine Egbon. He has not been attending meetings and he has not been responding to correspondences sent to him, neither does he return his calls. This is ridiculous as the Branch is now under “auto pilot”, since the National Chairman has presented himself as a ghost and has been rendered incommunicado and invisible, and NEC meeting has been cancelled twice and now postponed indefinitely.

“What we’ve also seen within these two years are incessant Police harassment, indiscriminate detentions, multiple court cases, two failed elections, failed reconciliation prospects, increased hardships for majority of the members: Unit Executives, applicant drivers and drivers on wheels, losing the most viable revenue generating facilities (Dangote Refinery/MRS) to greed, Augustine Egbon’s mysterious disappearance from the Union’s activities, and much more.

“NUPENG is so confused that it only embraces wasteful spending over important matters. Last December it commissioned its multi-storey tower and rolled out drums in front of cameras and several media influencers. The question again is that of what good or use is this edifice? Your administrative staff at the National Secretariat in Jibowu, Lagos are less than 20 in number. What do you need an 8-storey building for, which cost you billions of naira? But the welfare of your members, staff, veterans/elders are never your priority. Such cruelty and administrative indiscretion is unprecedented and laughable. We want to repeat again that Afolabi Olawale’s emergence as NUPENG General Secretary is a clear case of recruitment error. He wields power in a tyrannical and irresponsible manner.

“NUPENG leadership as currently constituted is obviously playing a very dangerous pattern of politics to elbow out the bonafide members and key leaders of PTD from the high table at the Union’s conclave. Let us note here that PTD is “the goose that lays the golden eggs”. It is most unfortunate that these same oppressors have pushed out all notable and dedicated veterans of the Branch; they’re still battling with Comrade Lucky Osesua and his followers, they are now targeting to push out the major stakeholders of the PTD family, in order to have absolute control of the PTD Branch; this will not stand and we hope that NUPENG leadership understands what it means to be sitting on a timed nuclear bomb.

“We the esteemed leaders of PTD are warning that if the leadership of NUPENG fails to review, reverse, and reconsider its ways and decisions, its undoings will further rubbish the reputation and integrity of the once highly respected NUPENG, both locally and internationally. We shall therefore continue this struggle until the wrongs are rectified, and until justice eventually prevails. We also use this valid opportunity to appeal to all our members and stakeholders in all the four Zones of PTD in Nigeria to remain calm, peaceful, and law abiding, and we truly assure them that we won’t disappoint or fail them,” PTD noted.