Atiku Blasts Tinubu, Demands Suspension of Controversial NNPC Refinery Deal
- Atiku Abubakar has demanded the immediate suspension of the NNPC refinery partnership involving two Chinese firms
- The former vice president questioned the technical experience of the companies selected to handle the Port Harcourt and Warri refinery rehabilitation projects
- Atiku called for the publication of the agreement terms and a legislative investigation into previous billions spent on refinery repairs
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the federal government to halt a newly announced refinery partnership involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and two Chinese firms.
He warned that the arrangement could expose Nigeria to another failed refinery rehabilitation process.
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In a press statement made available to Legit.ng, Atiku criticised the agreement described as a “Technical Equity Partnership” between NNPC Ltd and Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited as well as Xingcheng (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd.
In the statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, he questioned the technical capacity and credibility of both firms in handling large-scale refinery operations such as the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
Atiku questions NNPC refinery partnership terms
The former presidential candidate accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of pursuing another opaque transaction involving strategic national assets.
“It is both shocking and insulting that after wasting over $2.5 billion on endless refinery rehabilitation scandals, the NNPC is once again asking Nigerians to trust another experiment built on secrecy and questionable competence,” the statement said.
The statement, signed by Atiku’s media aide Phrank Shaibu, argued that available corporate records do not show evidence that Sanjiang Chemical has managed or operated a refinery comparable to Nigeria’s state-owned facilities.
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“There is no publicly available evidence anywhere in the world showing that Sanjiang has ever built, operated, or managed a full-scale crude oil refinery of the magnitude and complexity of Port Harcourt or Warri refineries,” Atiku stated.
He added that the company’s operations appeared to focus mainly on petrochemical products and light hydrocarbon processing rather than crude oil refining.
Chinese refinery deal sparks political backlash
Atiku also raised concerns about the second Chinese company involved in the arrangement. According to him, Xingcheng (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd lacks any verifiable experience in refinery engineering or petroleum operations.
“By every available corporate and industry record, Xingcheng is essentially an industrial park and infrastructure management company,” the statement added.
The former vice president further pointed to reports suggesting that Sanjiang Chemical faces financial pressures despite being listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
He questioned how a company dealing with liquidity concerns could shoulder the burden of reviving Nigeria’s troubled refineries.
Atiku called for the immediate release of the full Memorandum of Understanding signed between the parties.
He also demanded a detailed technical assessment of the companies involved, public disclosure of Nigeria’s financial obligations under the deal, and a legislative probe into previous refinery rehabilitation spending.
“The era where NNPC signs opaque agreements abroad and expects Nigerians to clap blindly is over,” the statement said.
He warned that Nigerians would hold public officials accountable for any arrangement capable of endangering the country’s energy security and economic future.
EFCC arraigns two over alleged N600m NNPC scam
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, February 9, 2026 arraigned Gidado Ibrahim and Halimat Adenike Tejusho, who is currently at large, before Justice H. Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
The arraignment followed allegations of a N600 million job scam linked to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Source: Legit.ng
