The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the umbrella body of workers in the oil and gas sector, is set to elect a new president on April 24, as the tenure of the incumbent, Comrade Williams Akporeha, winds down.
Akporeha announced his exit date at the weekend during the Quarterly National Executive Council meeting of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG held in Warri, Delta State.
Checks indicate that former PTD National Chairman and current National Trustee of the union, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti, is expected to emerge as the next NUPENG president in the forthcoming election scheduled for Lagos.
His emergence would mark the first time in the union’s history that a member of the PTD Branch will occupy the position of national president.
At the meeting, the Port Harcourt Zonal Chairman of PTD-NUPENG, Comrade Joseph Okafor, moved the motion for the unanimous ratification of Oladiti, which was seconded by Comrade Adekunle Akinlaja of the Lagos zone.
Akporeha thanked PTD members for their support throughout his eight-year tenure, describing their loyalty as instrumental to his leadership success.
He expressed strong support for a PTD member to succeed him, saying it was a way of appreciating their commitment.
“Eight years ago, you stood by me in this same room. When things were tough, you stood by me through all the challenges,” he said.
“I have no apology for supporting one of your own as president. My conscience would not allow otherwise. God used you to install me.”
He urged members to extend the same support to Oladiti and to Comrade Mathias Ote, who was elected as substantive PTD National Chairman, to ensure unity and continued progress within the union.
Earlier, Ote, in his inaugural address, thanked the leadership and members for the confidence reposed in him, pledging to provide effective leadership that would strengthen the branch.
He noted that although there were other capable contenders, his emergence was by collective decision and divine grace.
In his goodwill message, President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Lawal Yusuf Othman, commended NUPENG for ensuring a peaceful transition and supporting inclusivity within its leadership structure.