The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has sharply criticised the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) for its verbal attack on Senator Adams Oshiomhole, labelling the action “unnecessary and unwarranted.”

The rebuke follows NUPENG’s criticism of the former labour leader over comments he made concerning the ongoing dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

In a statement jointly signed by the textile union’s President, Comrade Peters Godonu, and its General Secretary, Comrade Ali Baba, the union, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), rose in Oshiomhole’s defence, asserting his right and responsibility to weigh in on national industrial matters.

The union described the former NLC President as a “respected leader of Nigeria’s labour movement,” whose intervention in the dispute was “clearly in the interest of industrial peace, national productivity, and the protection of workers’ rights.”

It strongly condemned the personal nature of the attack, warning that “disagreements within the labour family should never degenerate into disrespect for leaders who have sacrificed greatly for the cause of workers.”

The NUTGTWN called for restraint, urging NUPENG to “uphold the values of solidarity and internal consultation” and focus on resolving the underlying issues through established channels.

Meanwhile, in a show of solidarity, the union also revealed plans to rename its National Secretariat building in Kaduna in honour of Oshiomhole, in recognition of his “outstanding leadership and service.”