The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mr. Bayo Ojulari resumed official duties at the company’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday morning.
Ojulari’s presence in office is in conflict with a story by an online medium on Friday that he was abducted by officers of the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who forced him to resign from office.
NNPCL officers said they were amused by the fake news as they knew that Ojulari worked from home at the weekend and resumed normal work on Monday around 9:35 a.m., effectively ending days of social media rumours suggesting that he had stepped down from his position
His appearance was confirmed by a senior security official who told Vanguard that Ojulari was carrying on with his routine executive responsibilities.
The speculation about his resignation had gained traction over the weekend, with numerous online platforms citing anonymous sources and internal disagreements within NNPC as the reason for his supposed exit. However, those rumours appear to have been unfounded.
In an effort to curb the misinformation, NNPC management issued an internal memo urging staff to disregard the resignation reports circulating online.
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The memo, according to internal sources, reaffirmed that Mr. Ojulari remained fully in charge of the national oil company and was committed to executing the company’s strategic goals under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The timing of the rumour was particularly sensitive, as it coincided with broader changes in the energy sector and the ongoing push for reforms within NNPC.
The company has been undergoing structural transformation to align with the Petroleum Industry Act, which seeks to make NNPC more commercially viable and efficient.
Ojulari, who was appointed as GCEO earlier in 2024, is seen as a key figure in this reform drive. His leadership has focused on transparency, improved governance, and expansion of domestic refining capacity.
Some insiders speculated that the rumours may have been part of an orchestrated attempt to destabilize ongoing internal reforms or to test public sentiment around the leadership.
So far, neither Mr. Ojulari nor NNPC’s external communications team has issued a public statement addressing the false resignation claims. However, his physical presence at the office and the memo to staff have served as a firm rebuttal to the unverified reports.
Vanguard
