By Steve Agbota
A wave of unrest is engulfing Nigeria’s ports as dockworkers, incensed by alleged leadership imposition in the upcoming Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) elections, have risen to protest what they describe as years of marginalisation and suspected imposition of leadership within their union.
Daily Sun’s findings indicate that the upcoming Dockworkers Branch elections are embroiled in controversy, with accusations of an attempt to disregard a crucial zoning agreement igniting widespread anger that may disrupt port operations if peace is not sought.At the heart of the dispute is the emergence of Mr. Bolaji Agboola, a member of the ENL Terminal chapter at Apapa port, whose sudden campaign for the branch presidency was reported to have rattled union members.
A widely held view posits that the leadership should now be zoned to the Tin Can Chapter, based on a long-standing gentleman’s agreement promoting leadership rotation across the union’s various branches. This expectation is further underscored by the fact that the incumbent president, Comrade Tajudeen Ohize, representing the ENL chapter, is completing his tenure.
The appearance of Agboola’s campaign posters have reignited bitter memories of past domination by a single zone, and protests have erupted across key port locations.
Dockworkers have also accused former MWUN President-General, Tony Nted, of attempting to influence the election process—an allegation that has intensified mistrust within the union.
Sunday Osho, Assistant Secretary of Apapa District 1, while speaking to our correspondent, voiced the frustration of many aggrieved workers.
“There is no more imposition, no more manipulation in the dock industry.
We are mature and exposed enough to decide our own leadership,” he said.
Osho insists that Rule 14a, which was used to elect the current MWUN President-General, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, should equally apply to the dockworkers’ branch to ensure fairness and balance.
He noted that since the union’s structural reform in 1996, leadership has remained in the hands of a select few from the Apapa zone, sidelining other zones, including Tin Can and Port Harcourt. “What we are fighting for is simple: equity and inclusion. That’s why the zoning arrangement must stand,” Osho declared.