The Eastern Zonal leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has thrown its weight behind Comrade Robert Obi as the recognised chairman of the association in Cross River State, rejecting the rival leadership associated with Mr Peter Okim.
The zonal body warned that attempts to create a parallel structure within the association could cause tension and disrupt the smooth distribution of petroleum products across the state.
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The position was conveyed on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, when the zonal leadership, alongside other stakeholders in the downstream petroleum sector, paid separate courtesy visits to security authorities in Cross River State.
The delegation was led by IPMAN Eastern Zonal Chairman, Prince Bobby Dick, and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Zonal Chairman, Port Harcourt Zone, Comrade Joseph Okafor. They visited the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6, AIG Rasheed Bello Afegbua, Senior State Security Adviser, Major General Okoi Ubi Obono, and Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue.
The delegation also comprised representatives of IPMAN zonal branches, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union and the Independent Marketers Branch of NUPENG.
Speaking during the engagements, Dick said the visit was intended to clarify the leadership situation in the association and prevent unauthorised persons from presenting themselves as IPMAN officials or imposing levies on its members.
Dick said the zonal leadership was aware of efforts by some individuals to assume control of the IPMAN structure in Calabar without following the established procedures of the association.
He said the person who recently conducted what he described as an inauguration in Calabar was not IPMAN’s National Secretary, adding that there was a subsisting court judgment relating to the matter.
According to him, neither Okim nor the individual who conducted the purported inauguration had the authority to constitute a parallel leadership or task force within IPMAN.
Dick also warned that the zonal leadership would not allow any unauthorised task force to interfere with petroleum trucks and tanker drivers operating in the state.
He said the clarification became necessary to enable security agencies to distinguish between recognised IPMAN officials and individuals acting outside the association’s established structure.
For his part, Okafor said IPMAN had clear constitutional provisions governing the election and emergence of its leaders.
He said leadership positions could not be assumed through letters of appointment, stressing that candidates must emerge through the prescribed electoral process.
“IPMAN has a constitution, bylaws, checks and balances. Somebody cannot just wake up and claim the chairmanship or constitute a caretaker committee while the zonal chairman and his executive are still in place,” he said.
Okafor, who oversees PTD operations across about 12 states, including Cross River, urged the government and security agencies to prevent the dispute from escalating into a crisis at the depot.
He noted that the handling and transportation of petroleum products required a peaceful operating environment because any disruption could have serious consequences for the state.
He also called on the government to intervene and ensure that peace was maintained across the petroleum distribution chain, warning that prolonged tension could disrupt depot operations and petroleum supply.
Responding to the delegation, AIG Zone 6, Afegbua, acknowledged that another group had visited his office a few days earlier but noted that the earlier delegation was smaller than the one that appeared before him.
The AIG said the latest delegation, which comprised more than 20 stakeholders from the petroleum industry, had provided further clarification on the leadership dispute.
He assured the group that the security agencies would act appropriately, while asking the IPMAN leadership to keep them informed when the tenure of the incumbent executive expires and a fresh election is conducted.
Afegbua said, “Sincerely, if you people had not come, I would have been tempted to believe and accept those other people. You people should guide us to do the right thing.”
He also sought clarification on the rights of the contending parties over the depot and urged IPMAN to formally notify the security agencies when a new executive was elected.
Similarly, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, described the visit as timely, saying it would assist the police in protecting IPMAN members, their businesses and petroleum facilities.
Ordue urged the association to maintain regular communication with the police command and cooperate with security agencies.
The commissioner further advised IPMAN to pursue legal remedies over the leadership dispute and formally communicate any relevant court orders to the parties involved.
He stressed that peace was essential for businesses to thrive, urging all stakeholders to avoid actions capable of creating tension in the state.
Also speaking, the Senior State Security Adviser, Major General Okoi Ubi Obono, said his office would only recognise an IPMAN executive that emerged through the association’s established electoral process and was formally communicated by the appropriate zonal or national authority.
Obono said his office expected to receive official communication stating that the tenure of the incumbent executive had expired and that a new election had been conducted before recognising another leadership.
He explained that when another group presented a letter introducing an interim chairman, he rejected it because the required procedures had not been followed.
“I told him no, things are not done that way. Cross River is a very peaceful state and we don’t want to put it in flames because, if it comes from that angle, a lot of people will suffer,” he said.
Obono assured the delegation that the state authorities would continue to support efforts to maintain peace and ensure that petroleum businesses operated without disruption.
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