In a petition addressed to the Registrar of Trade Unions at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the aggrieved members — under the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) branch — alleged that the national leadership has continuously disregarded democratic principles and abused its powers.
According to the petition, the group said multiple attempts to engage the national executives constructively had been ignored.
“Despite several letters and correspondences, our concerns have been met with utter disregard and non-responsiveness,” the petition reads.
“The continuous actions and inactions of the national leadership amount to abuse of office and gross violation of the PENGASSAN constitution, especially regarding members’ rights and internal democratic processes.”
The branch members — numbering over 523, representing more than two-thirds of the NMDPRA branch — also accused the national leadership of interfering in their branch election process.
Documents obtained by reporters show that the national leadership, via a letter dated June 27, announced the formation of a Caretaker Committee (CTC) to oversee the branch’s affairs — a decision the NMDPRA members described as “entirely wrong, unacceptable, and unconstitutional.”
In defiance, the branch members said they independently resolved to conduct their own election, citing the lack of transparency and accountability from the central leadership.
The aggrieved members said the issue was escalated to the Minister of Labour and Employment, who later intervened, urging both sides to maintain calm while the ministry mediates.
However, they alleged that the Central Working Committee (CWC) ignored the minister’s directive and went ahead to inaugurate the caretaker committee, deepening the crisis within the union.
The petition urged the Federal Government to step in, safeguard the integrity of trade unionism, and ensure due process within PENGASSAN is upheld.
