Politics
Prof Iledare Tells Tinubu to Fix Refineries Instead of Rushing to Sell Them
Professor Wumi Iledare, a respected expert in petroleum economics, has cautioned against rushing to sell Nigeria’s state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. He advised President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to adopt a more strategic and transparent approach that puts national interest first.
His warning follows comments by NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, who recently hinted in an interview that the refineries may be sold after their ongoing reviews. Responding to that, Iledare argued that the major issue isn’t government ownership but poor efficiency and management.
“Selling them off without addressing deeper governance failures could lead to the same problems we’ve seen in the past and also risk our energy security,” he said. He recommended public-private partnerships and performance-based agreements as better alternatives, aligning with the spirit of the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021. He also warned that privatisation shouldn’t become a tool for monopoly or be controlled by a privileged few.
According to him, the focus should be on unlocking value and reviving the downstream oil sector in a sustainable way. This comes after NNPCL shut down the Port Harcourt Refinery in May 2025 for maintenance. Despite large sums spent on reviving the Warri and Kaduna plants, both remain inactive. Meanwhile, Aliko Dangote recently stated that those refineries may never function again.
Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has faced backlash after suggesting that opposition figures, including Peter Obi, could contribute to President Tinubu’s chances of re-election if opposition votes remain divided.
He stated “If Tinubu gets re-elected in 2027, blame Peter Obi and the other contractor-general. With all the insecurity and kidnapping in the country, they are the ones aggressively working for his second term by ensuring opposition votes are divided like they did in 2023.”
His comments sparked criticism from many Nigerians, who argued that Peter Obi is not the only opposition figure and should not be solely blamed for political divisions.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has expressed confidence that the northern region will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next election.
According to Matawalle, the administration has delivered major infrastructure projects and development initiatives across the region.
“For us in the North, our votes for the APC and President Tinubu will show clearly that we appreciate what he’s doing for the region.”
He added “If you see the dualisation of the Abuja–Kaduna, Zaria–Sokoto, and Ilela–Badagry expressways, you will agree with me that the North is experiencing key projects it never had in the past, even when a northerner was president.”
It was reported and revealed by the National Coordinator of the Obi Movement that an attack occurred at the movement against Peter Obi in Edo State.
He stated that the armed people had guns and shot at Peter Obi and his members of the movement.
“At the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, armed individuals followed us from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
They shot at the gate and destroyed several vehicles in what appears to be a survived assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger.”
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