Abuja, August 2025 — The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has cried out that he is under coordinated attack by powerful interests who are plotting to force him out of office.
Ojulari, who was appointed barely four months ago by President Bola Tinubu to drive reforms in the oil and gas sector, has become the center of swirling controversy. Reports had claimed that he was pressured to sign a resignation letter during a late-night encounter with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The allegations, described in some quarters as a “civilian coup,” suggested that his leadership was being undermined by entrenched forces within and outside the company.
The Presidency, however, swiftly dismissed the reports, insisting that Ojulari remains the substantive head of NNPCL. The EFCC also labeled the claims as “fake news,” though it confirmed receiving petitions concerning the company’s operations.
In a firm rebuttal, Ojulari denied that he was coerced into resignation, stressing that the narratives being circulated were fabricated to weaken his resolve. “I am under attack, and there are people determined to unseat me,” he declared, warning that internal sabotage is threatening the reform agenda at the NNPCL.
Despite the storm, Ojulari returned to work at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, projecting calm and determination to continue his assignment. Civil society organizations such as the Coalition for Good Governance & Change Initiatives and HURIWA have also risen in his defense, describing the attacks as a desperate move by vested interests threatened by his anti-corruption measures, system audits, and real-time transparency tools.
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Still, critics have continued to question his leadership, pointing to allegations of unaccounted funds and raising concerns over fuel scarcity and controversial contracts. The Senate has also demanded explanations regarding trillions of naira in missing revenues linked to the corporation’s operations.
Observers say the clash is not just about Ojulari but about the future of Nigeria’s oil industry. His callout of “the enemy within” highlights the deep resistance facing efforts to sanitize the NNPCL and restore confidence in a sector long dogged by corruption and inefficiency.
For now, the battle lines remain drawn. Whether Ojulari survives the storm or succumbs to the forces arrayed against him may determine how far the Tinubu administration’s oil reforms can go.
