Presidency opens up on Alleged ‘Forceful Resignation’ of Ojulari as NNPC Chairman

The Presidency has described the alleged resignation of Bayo Ojulari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, as “false and rubbish.”

Sunday Dare, a presidential spokesperson, made this clarification in a terse statement on Saturday night.

“Not true,” he told DAILY POST.

Also, a Presidency source speaking to Vanguard on Saturday described the claims as “false and rubbish.”

A report from Peoples Gazette had claimed that Ojulari had been coerced into signing a resignation letter,

It claimed that the incident, which occurred on Friday night, allegedly involved Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ola Olukoyede and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Adeola Ajayi.

However, sources told TheCable that the EFCC never abducted Ojulari.

According to sources in the anti-graft agency, the claim that Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of EFCC, abducted and forced Ojulari to resign is “ridiculous and mischievous”.

The source clarified that here was no need for Olukoyede to “abduct or force anyone to resign an appointment,” because he is not an appointing authority.

“Besides, if he needs anyone to account for anything, he does it by writing or inviting the person formally,” the source said.

“Whatever does not follow such procedures is not true and should not be taken seriously.

“EFCC chairman is not a bully. He is a law-abiding chief executive of the nation’s most important anti-graft agency.”

The source further said Olukoyede had “never abducted, coerced, tortured or caused anyone to resign his position at any time”.

After the removal of Mely Kyari, Ojulari, a former Shell executive, was appointed GMD in April by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who cited his deep expertise in hydrocarbons.

However, Ojulari’s position at the NNPCL has come under pressure after he attended an oil and gas conference in Kigali this July with an NNPC-sponsored delegation.

The trouble is linked to a $21 million (₦34.65 billion) corruption scandal. Civil society groups like OilWatch Nigeria and the Workers’ Rights Alliance have called for his arrest, accusing him of economic sabotage.

At a press conference held on July 31 at EFCC headquarters, the groups claimed that a detained associate, Abdullahi Bashir Haske, confessed to holding the funds on Ojulari’s behalf. They also accused him of keeping Nigeria’s refineries shut down and plotting to privatise some NNPCL assets.

To press their demands, the coalition began a three-day protest on August 1, staging demonstrations at the National Assembly, NNPCL headquarters, and EFCC offices.

There are also claims of a $21 million kickback scheme involving oil traders and pipeline contractors. According to reports, the alleged scheme was uncovered after Ojulari reassigned fund collection duties, prompting a whistleblower to tip off the EFCC. Investigators then froze the account in question.

This is not the first time the NNPCL has faced scrutiny. In May 2025, the rights group SERAP called on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate why ₦500 billion was not remitted to the Federation Account between October and December 2024.

But Ojulari isn’t without support. Groups like the Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiatives (CGGCI) and HURIWA have defended him, saying the protests are politically motivated attempts to derail his reforms.

They praised his efforts to clean up the system by introducing real-time monitoring, auditing shady contracts, and stabilising fuel supply—steps they say have already reduced petrol queues. These groups have also urged President Tinubu to back Ojulari’s anti-corruption drive.

Still, critics point to alleged wasteful spending, including a pricey retreat in Kigali that involved private jets, and claims that a toxic work environment has led to staff resignations.

The Niger Delta Environmental Justice Coalition (NDEJC) also criticised the joint EFCC-DSS raid, calling it politically driven. However, the group admitted that Ojulari has helped increase oil production and government revenue