In a significant move, key stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently dismiss the heads of Nigeria’s major oil and gas regulatory bodies. This demand, made by the Tinubu Legacy Coalition (TLC), a group of prominent APC members, comes in response to what they describe as gross mismanagement and corruption that have crippled the nation’s oil and gas sector.
The group, in a letter signed by over 100 stakeholders, including Hon. Bala Abu, Dr. Jeremiah Okino, and Comrade Gabriel Gbana, urged President Tinubu to sack Mele Kyari, Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL); Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC); and Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). They argued that the continued tenure of these officials is damaging the image of Tinubu’s administration.
The letter pointed to numerous challenges plaguing the oil and gas sector, including persistent fuel scarcity, rampant pipeline vandalism, and widespread oil theft, which have led to a decline in the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP and tarnished the country’s international reputation. The stakeholders also criticized the lack of transparency and accountability in the sector, which they claim has allowed corruption to flourish, resulting in significant financial losses.
Specific allegations were made against each official: Ahmed was accused of granting indiscriminate import licenses that led to the importation of high-sulfur diesel, posing health risks to Nigerians; Kyari was criticized for his handling of recurring fuel scarcity and pipeline vandalism; and Komolafe was blamed for failing to curb corruption and enhance transparency within the NUPRC.
The APC stakeholders emphasized that removing these officials is essential to restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and to support Tinubu’s administration in achieving its economic goals. As pressure mounts, attention now turns to whether President Tinubu will heed the call of his party’s stakeholders and initiate a much-needed overhaul of the sector’s leadership.