The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) declared Senator Adams Oshiomhole “persona non grata” for criticizing a strike by its sister union, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), against the Dangote Refinery. In response, NUPENG announced it will boycott any event featuring Oshiomhole.
The controversy began when PENGASSAN launched a nationwide strike in response to the Dangote Refinery’s purported dismissal of over 800 engineers for attempting to unionize.
In an October 3, 2025, interview with Arise TV, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former labor leader, denounced PENGASSAN’s strike as “hasty and unfair to other workers”. He maintained that in resolving a dispute, unions should avoid employing strategies that would harm the livelihoods of innocent people.
NUPENG condemned Oshiomhole’s comments as a “betrayal of labor principles” and a “distortion of established laws”. In a statement, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale declared Oshiomhole persona non grata among oil and gas workers, accusing him of siding with corporate oppression.
NUPENG accused Oshiomhole, a former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), of abandoning his former allies and becoming an advocate for corporate interests. The union referred to him as the “Judas Iscariot of Nigerian Trade Unionism”.
NUPENG countered Oshiomhole’s claims by citing Section 31 of Nigeria’s Trade Unions Act, which legally recognizes solidarity industrial actions. It affirmed its unwavering support for PENGASSAN, noting that “an injury to one is an injury to all”.
Following the declaration of Oshiomhole as persona non grata, NUPENG announced that it will not participate in any event where he is featured. The union also advised the NLC, Trade Union Congress, and other civil society organizations to be aware of Oshiomhole’s position.
