Embattled NNPCL GMD, Bayo Ojulari has resumed work amid resignation controversy.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that despite swirling rumours of his resignation, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, resumed duties at the company’s Abuja headquarters on Monday morning.
This Nigeria news platform gathered that Ojulari’s arrival at the NNPCL Towers around 9:35 am visibly dispelled reports trending on social media that he had been forced to step down amid an ongoing investigation and political pressure.
ALSO: WAEC Releases 2025 WASSCE Results, Records 33.8% Performance Decline
According to Naija News, a senior security official confirmed that Ojulari was actively engaged in his official responsibilities.
“The GCEO is in the office performing his duties as usual. Reports of his resignation making the rounds on social media are entirely false,” the source told Vanguard.
An internal memo has also been issued to NNPCL staff, urging them to disregard the resignation claims, which have been labelled baseless and politically motivated.
Ojulari, appointed just four months ago by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed Mele Kyari, continues to oversee vital operations critical to Nigeria’s energy sector. His return to work comes at a time when the NNPC is undergoing major reforms and structural adjustments aimed at restoring credibility and boosting investor confidence.
Allegations and Tensions in the Presidency
Ojulari’s resumption, however, does not dispel the mounting controversies surrounding his tenure. Reports indicate that President Tinubu is reportedly furious over confidential security memos alleging Ojulari’s involvement in questionable financial transactions.
At the centre of the controversy is a series of alleged multimillion-dollar transfers between NNPCL and AA&R Investment Group, an energy and logistics firm linked to Abdullahi Bashir-Haske — the son-in-law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is seen as a major opposition figure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Sources within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that some of the flagged transactions appear to involve complex financial structures suspected of being part of a wider money laundering scheme. Bashir-Haske, who previously benefited from NNPC contracts during the Maikanti Baru era, reportedly regained favour under Ojulari’s leadership in April 2025.
The development has sparked political unease, with some insiders alleging that the NNPC under Ojulari may be indirectly funding opposition elements—a move said to have deeply angered President Tinubu, who now sees Ojulari’s actions as a betrayal of trust.
Ojulari, a former Shell Nigeria executive and founder of BAT Advisory & Energy, also served as a key consultant in Renaissance Africa Energy’s recent $2 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company.
As investigations continue and political tensions rise, Ojulari’s future at NNPCL remains uncertain, even as he maintains a public posture of business as usual.
