The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has launched a scathing attack on Senator Adams Oshiomhole, branding him the “Judas Iscariot of trade unionism” following his remarks on the dispute resolution between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
In a statement jointly issued by its National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG said: “These remarks represent a reprehensible attack on the fundamental rights of Nigerian workers and a blatant distortion of established labour laws.”
The union expressed dismay that a former labour leader could “morph into a staunch defender of corporate oppression, undermining the very rights he once fought to protect”.
According to the statement, Oshiomhole’s comments were “a flagrant misrepresentation of Nigerian labour law and International Labour Organisation, ILO, conventions”.
NUPENG noted that the incident calls to mind former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s past remark describing Oshiomhole as “a comrade in the morning and a politician by night”.
The union questioned: “If so, does such a figure possess the authority to lecture others on strategy or morality?”
It further asked how someone who “once advised allegedly corrupt politicians to join the APC for absolution now presume[s] to preach ethics?”
The statement also challenged Oshiomhole’s claims regarding his resignation timeline at the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, stating: “The facts are indisputable: Adams Oshiomhole held both the NLC Presidency and NUTGTWN General Secretary roles from 1999 to 2007, only stepping down from the latter in 2008, one year after leaving the NLC.”
NUPENG questioned whether this dual role symbolized “an unyielding pursuit of power, influence, and personal gain.”
The union accused the senator of consistently “rewriting history to align with his current reactionary stance in favour of capitalists, who reject trade unions in pursuit of exploitative labour practices.”
It went on to challenge his entitlement to the Senate title “Distinguished,” saying it was “earned through undemocratic privilege rather than merit.”
According to the union, “His current position is not that of a pragmatic reformer but the rantings of an apostate, seduced by power and compromised by vested interests, betraying the cause of Nigeria’s downtrodden workers.”
NUPENG criticized Oshiomhole for admitting *“limited knowledge of the issue”* before proceeding to denounce the PENGASSAN strike, describing his actions as “irresponsible and deplorable.”
To clarify its stance, NUPENG cited legal frameworks protecting workers’ rights, including “Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)” and “ILO Conventions 87 and 98,” affirming that these provisions guarantee freedom of association and protect workers’ right to unionize without interference.
The union emphasized that mass dismissals for union activities “violate these standards, which are enshrined in the Constitution via Sections 254C(1) and (2).”
It rejected Oshiomhole’s suggestion of a “moratorium on unionization,” calling it “an absurd, regressive idea with no basis in modern democracy.”
Challenging him directly, NUPENG said: “We challenge him to cite any section of the Labour Act, Trade Unions Act, or other legislation supporting such a provision, or is this drawn from an unpublished manifesto by ‘daytime comrades and nighttime opportunists’?”
The union described his stance as a case of “historical revisionism and selective amnesia,” reminding that “Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act (Cap T14, LFN 2004) recognizes trade disputes, including sympathetic industrial actions.”
It maintained that PENGASSAN’s solidarity strike was “a protected legal activity,” stressing that “the principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ underpins global labour movements.”
NUPENG noted that Oshiomhole’s position now mirrors “the anti-labour arguments he once battled as NLC President,” and expressed shock that someone who served on the ILO Governing Council could display “such profound ignorance of unionism.”
The statement referenced journalist Reuben Abati’s question during the interview: “Where are Oshiomhole’s once-iconic ‘aluta’ attire?”
It further recommended readers revisit the 1998 publication Nigerian Textile Industry: Labour-Regime and Adjustment by Andrae and Beckman for context on Oshiomhole’s earlier union leadership.
Senator Oshiomhole persona non grata among Nigerian oil and gas workers due to his “denunciation of the PENGASSAN strike and the unjust sacking of over 800 engineers as retaliation for unionizing”, NUPENG declared.
It added that henceforth, the union would not attend or endorse any event featuring him, urging the NLC, TUC, and civil society organizations to do likewise.
The union stated: “Oshiomhole’s insensitivity to these workers’ plight and his opposition to unionism in the petroleum sector poison the working-class resolve while bolstering exploiters.
NUPENG stands resolutely with PENGASSAN and the dismissed engineers. We will deploy all legal and industrial tools fully compliant with Nigerian law and global standards to achieve justice.”
“The Senator’s stance marks him as the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism a profound betrayal of the working class NUPENG added.
We advise him to withdraw from labour commentary, as he has forfeited all moral authority, especially among oil and gas workers.”
Oshiomhole is ‘Judas Iscariot’ of Nigerian trade unionism – NUPENG