PTD escalates feud with NUPENG, seeks leaders’ arrest over Dangote dispute

The leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) deepened over the weekend as its affiliate, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), publicly ridiculed the union for what it described as “poor coordination, double standards, and economic sabotage” in its handling of disputes with the management of the Dangote Refinery.

In a strongly worded statement jointly signed by PTD leaders from Kaduna, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Lagos zones, the tanker drivers urged law enforcement agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), to arrest NUPENG’s national leaders.

They argued that such action was necessary to “preserve peace and protect Nigerians from disruption of their daily livelihoods.”

The tanker drivers also called on their members nationwide to ignore NUPENG’s planned strike, which was scheduled to commence Monday, September 8, 2025. PTD leaders described the strike threat as “insensitive and callous,” warning that such industrial action could paralyze economic activity and inflict more hardship on ordinary Nigerians.

“A union is expected to be socially responsible and not pursue selfish gains capable of ruining the socio-economic accomplishments of the country,” the PTD leaders said.

Central to the clash is NUPENG’s opposition to the Dangote Refinery’s plan to import 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution. NUPENG has accused Dangote and his ally, MRS Oil’s Sayyu Dantata, of plotting to monopolize the downstream sector.

But the tanker drivers dismissed the allegation as hypocrisy, accusing NUPENG itself of suppressing the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) and other players in the sector.

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“Union membership anywhere in the world is voluntary,” PTD said, adding that Dangote and Dantata should be commended for “revitalising the downstream sector” and supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The PTD also criticized NUPENG’s internal leadership, accusing President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale of factionalism, bullying, and mismanagement. According to PTD, the union has become a “shadow of its former self,” riddled with lawsuits and disciplinary crises that have alienated many members.

“They sit in offices, collect dues in billions, without looking after drivers on wheels,” the PTD alleged, claiming that many tanker drivers earn less than ₦50,000 monthly while union executives enjoy foreign training opportunities.

Labour relations expert Dr. Femi Odewale described the escalating rift as “a dangerous fracture within Nigeria’s most strategic oil workers’ union.” He warned that if unresolved, the crisis could “destabilize fuel distribution networks and weaken the country’s industrial peace framework.”

Energy governance analyst Dr. Hauwa Bello said the clash reflects “deeper struggles over control of the petroleum downstream sector,” noting that Dangote Refinery’s entry has disrupted old patronage systems.

“What we are seeing is resistance from entrenched interests who feel threatened by reforms and competition,” she said.

On the call for arrests, legal scholar Barr. Chukwuma Eze urged caution: “While PTD has raised serious allegations of mismanagement, law enforcement must act within due process. Arbitrary arrests of union leaders could set a troubling precedent for labour rights.”

With global oil markets already volatile and Nigeria battling production and revenue shortfalls, industry observers say the rift between NUPENG and PTD is an added distraction the government cannot afford.