An elder and key stakeholder in the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG, Comrade Obi-Dede Wonder has made scathing remarks about his Union, alleging that under the current leadership of Comrades Williams Akporeha (President), Afolabi Olawale (General Secretary) and Salimon Akanni Oladiti (National Trustee) an agenda had been hatched to carry out systematic take over of the Union’s most viable arm (PTD) for selfish and pecuniary gains.
This shocking observation was made Saturday morning, 29th November 2025, while Comrade Obi-Dede was briefing newsmen in the nation’s capital city, Abuja at Top Rank Galaxy hotel.
Comrade Obi-Dede stated that the plot to completely hijack the PTD Branch of NUPENG began during the tenure of Comrade (Otunba) Salimon Akanni Oladiti when he was the National Chairman of the Branch.
According to him, “it was during Oladiti’s time that NUPENG’s current leadership started presiding over Branch Working Committee (BWC) and Branch Executive Council (BEC) meetings from opening prayer until the closing of the meetings. We noticed that this strange pattern was very unusual and doesn’t align with PTD’s age-long tradition.”
The PTD stakeholder further disclosed that previous NUPENG Presidents before Akporeha, for instance Comrades Igwe Achese, Comrade (Rt. Hon.) Peter Akpatason, and B.B Awe etc, will occasionally and briefly attend the Branch Working Committee (BWC) private meetings on the day of arrival; then attend the Branch Executive Council (BEC) General meetings alongside other industry stakeholders, like NARTO, IPMAN, THE POLICE, FRSC, and NSCDC representatives.
He maintained that they usually addressed the Union briefly and the solidarity song will be sung, and they will subsequently take their leave with other industry stakeholders; after which the PTD Branch National Chairman will now preside over the BEC General meeting.
He affirmed that this had been the tradition and pattern until Oladiti became the National Chairman of PTD, desecrated the branch and stirred up the hornets nest.
“Oladiti was fond of always criticising his predecessor, Comrade Timothy Ogbu, accusing him of interference with his administration, and constantly vowed publicly that he will never come near any PTD meeting the very day he completes his tenure as National Chairman; he often said and I quote: “Anyday I finish my tenure as National Chairman, you will never see me anywhere near PTD, I will carry my bag and go home”.
However, things took a different twist when he completed his tenure as PTD National Chairman after eight years; he was almost immediately appointed as National Trustee of NUPENG and since then PTD never witnessed any breather.
“Oladiti’s emergence as National Trustee of NUPENG was a grand plot to ensure that he will continue to attend both PTD BWC and BEC meetings; and to pave way for him to take over as NUPENG President when Prince Williams Akporeha’s tenure expires by April 2026. To consolidate and perfect their evil agenda,
Akporeha and Afolabi who are not Petroleum Tanker Drivers, without proper consultation, went ahead to amend and sign the PTD Branch Bye-Laws to accommodate Unit and Zonal Trustees at both Zonal and National meetings: Mission Accomplished!
“Oladiti is still in possession of a large number of PTD cheques and documents to all landed properties and the hotel owned by the Union both in Abuja and Ibadan even after he left office as National Chairman over eleven years now. This is not just terrible, but horrible! This man qualifies to be a professor of Greed and Corruption.
All through the periods when Comrade Lucky Osesua and the late Augustine Egbon were in office as National Chairmen, they were mere ceremonial National Chairmen; Oladiti has always been in charge; whoever NUPENG leadership anoints/appoints tomorrow to replace the late Augustine Egbon apart from Comrade Lucky Osesua will still be under Oladiti’s command; Oladiti will still be in total control.
“The next strategy of the hijack was the manipulation of electoral processes after the National Industrial Court Yenagoa Division nullified the election of Comrade Lucky Osesua on July 24th 2023. NUPENG leadership through the General Secretary manipulated electoral processes heavily, the outcome was that a whole number of eligible Comrades were disenfranchised, while Comrade Augustine Egbon now late, and a bunch of stooges and surrogates were imposed on the PTD Branch as National Executives on the 31st of October 2023 at Ibadan; this electoral fraud was of course challenged in Court by the camp of Comrade Lucky Osesua, and the illegal election was nullified on the 29th of May 2024, by Hon. Justice Anuwe of the National Industrial Court Abuja.
“The May 29th Judgement ordered NUPENG to conduct a fresh election that will be ALL-INCLUSIVE AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY ON ANY ACCOUNT, but NUPENG leadership bent on doing the wrong thing, and being in serial disobedience to court orders, excluded everyone in Comrade Lucky Osesua’s camp; they went to Lagos on the 3rd of July 2024, in a sham election, imposed on PTD Branch for the second time the same Augustine Egbon, now late, and about 90% of the same line up at Ibadan 2023. These atrocious acts by NUPENG leadership has generated a lot of controversies and litigations from Magistrate Court to the Court of Appeal and National Industrial Court.
“On Sunday 16th November 2025, an unfortunate incident occurred, the NUPENG leadership illegally-imposed factional National Chairman, Comrade Augustine Egbon passed away, and it was NUPENG General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale who issued a press statement announcing Comrade Egbon’s death that same day.
“In another recent development, a notice of BEC meeting scheduled to hold between 9th-12th December 2025 at Embassy Classic Suites and Towers Hotel, Behind CBN, Along State Secretariat Road, New Owerri, Imo State was made public, and the meeting notification ended with this writing: “Approved By Comrade Prince Williams Akporeha NUPENG President”; What an aberration, what nonsense!
“Oh, I weep for the Union. “PTD Branch has 1st Deputy and 2nd Deputy National Chairmen, they have a National Secretary, and four National Vice Chairmen; so, none of them is qualified to announce the death of their National Chairman? So, none of them can announce their National meeting? Shame on all of you, and a bigger shame on Afolabi and Akporeha who are not Petroleum Tanker Drivers, but suddenly have become automatic members of PTD overnight. A man who drags what doesn’t belong to him with two hands is a thief. (Igbo Proverb).
“More worrisome and heartbreaking is that, Comrade Augustine Egbon died on the 16th of November 2025, he’s yet to be buried, and in less than two weeks after his demise Afolabi, Oladiti, Saheed Gbolahan Adigun a.k.a Oba Mobil, and a host of others have converged in Ibadan for a week long marriage celebrations of Saheed Gbolahan’s Son. Not even a day of mourning was observed to honour the man who held the apex position in the strongest and richest Branch of NUPENG. No respect for the dead, no belief in sanctity of life. What a Union!
“A death that should serve as food for thought for NUPENG leadership and the entire members of the Union; it is on record that Augustine Egbon is the only National Chairman that has taken the oath of office two times in two years; he is the only National Chairman to die in office; he is the only National Chairman that was not the second in command to the sitting National Chairman; all his five predecessors are still alive in good health and sound mind; some are in their 70s, and 80s.
“Rather than the Union to be thrown into mourning and sober reflection, those who schemed him into the position that may have led to his untimely death now have activated celebration mode, dining and wining; dancing and making merriments. It is a pity and quite unfortunate that NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha who hails from Warri Zone with Comrades Lucky Osesua and late Augustine Egbon allowed power drunk men from Lagos Zone, Ibadan to be precise, to lead him astray; reducing the once well respected and feared Union into an object of mockery and caricature.
“The earlier the members of PTD Branch from other Zones realise that there’s a grand plot to hijack the activities of PTD Branch by NUPENG leadership, and turn it into a 3-man private enterprise belonging to the Ibadan trio of Comrades Salimon Akanni Oladiti-NUPENG National Trustee, who is working hard to become NUPENG President after Akporeha is done by April 2026; Afolabi Olawale-NUPENG General Secretary, and Saheed Gbolahan Adigun-PTD NUPENG Lagos Zonal Chairman, the better for us.
“We must be strong and very courageous and rise up in unity and take back our Union. We are members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers; it is not an Ibadan Union, it is a Nigerian Union.
