Controversy has started trailing the upcoming election into the dockworkers branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, as this has affected activities across major ports in the country.

This is coming barely a month after the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past President-General of the union, Adewale Adeyanju.

At the heart of the tension is the upcoming election in the union’s dockworkers’ branch, a development that has exposed cracks within the union’s hierarchy.

Sources familiar with the development at the union explain that the crisis, which is reportedly rooted in a contentious zoning arrangement, has sparked protests and heightened factionalism among dockworkers.

A source who spoke to our correspondent in confidence due to the nature of the controversy confirmed that there was a gentleman’s agreement before the end of the former administration that the next president of the dockworkers’ branch would emerge from the Tincan Chapter.

“The incumbent president of the chapter is from a particular chapter and is currently completing his second term. However, that arrangement now appears to be under threat following the sudden emergence of campaign posters from a member of the same chapter.

“The candidate’s entrance into the race has stirred outrage among those who believe the position should rotate to the Tincan Chapter in the spirit of fairness and balance,” the source said.

The source also said that the candidate expected to benefit from the earlier zoning consensus is reportedly under pressure to step down, a move that could spark deeper unrest.

Meanwhile, the President-General of the MWUN, Francis Bunu, cautioned all aspirants and their supporters.

In a statement recently, Bunu banned the display of some campaign materials within port terminals, jetties, oil platforms, vessels, and union offices nationwide.

While affirming members’ rights to participate in the election, he cautioned against campaigns of bitterness and urged all parties to maintain discipline, peace, and decorum.