Atiku Abubakar challenges President Tinubu on refinery accountability, citing increased financial obligations

Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, stated that after more than three years in office, the Tinubu administration cannot continue to blame inherited liabilities. He highlighted Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL records showing that the combined obligations of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to NNPCL increased from approximately ₦4.52 trillion in 2023 to ₦8.67 trillion in 2024, an increase of about ₦4.15 trillion. Atiku questioned what Nigerians received in return for this expenditure.

He also referenced a February 2026 admission by NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, that the state-owned refineries were operating at a "monumental loss" and that continued operations under the existing arrangement were destroying value. This admission, Atiku noted, contradicted the Federal Government's earlier presentation of the Port Harcourt refinery's rehabilitation as an achievement in November 2024, when NNPCL announced it was operating at 70 percent capacity. Atiku urged President Tinubu to take ownership of both successes and failures, asking for an explanation of the significant increase in refinery obligations and the tangible benefits to N