A faction of retired civil servants in Ekiti State has formed a new body, the Pensioners Association of Nigeria (PAN), following a deepening leadership crisis and allegations of financial misconduct within the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).
The formation of the new group was driven by allegations of ₦41 million misappropriation, repeated constitutional violations, and what members described as a persistent lack of transparency by the NUP leadership.
This move comes on the heels of the inconclusive 2024 NUP elections, which reportedly triggered a prolonged internal crisis, further widening rifts within the union’s leadership structure.
Multiple efforts at reconciliation have since broken down, prompting aggrieved members to seek an alternative platform through the creation of PAN.
Speaking to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the spokesperson for the breakaway group, Comrade Samson Olufemi, said PAN was established to restore integrity and accountability to how pensioners are represented and their interests defended in the state.
“We can no longer fold our arms while the welfare of retired civil servants is compromised,” Olufemi said, stressing that “the ₦41 million in question belongs to all of us, and there must be transparency in its use.”
He further explained that PAN would engage with relevant authorities to ensure that members’ rights and benefits are safeguarded, and that the new body would operate under a revised constitution focused on democratic leadership and open financial practices.
Meanwhile, attempts to reach the leadership of the embattled NUP in Ekiti State proved abortive, as multiple calls and messages to the union’s state chairman went unanswered as of the time of filing this report.
The emergence of PAN represents a significant shift in pensioners’ representation in the state, with observers warning that if left unaddressed, the crisis could spark similar breakaway movements in other parts of the country.
