Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of shifting blame for Nigeria’s troubled state-owned refineries onto previous administrations. He said the current government must take responsibility for the billions of naira spent on the facilities under its watch.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Atiku pointed to NNPCL records showing that the combined obligations of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries rose from about ₦4.52 trillion in 2023 to ₦8.67 trillion in 2024. The increase of roughly ₦4.15 trillion in one year, he argued, raises serious questions about how the money was used and what returns Nigerians received.

He also referred to a recent admission by NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari that the refineries had been operating at a monumental loss. Ojulari had said the company halted operations after an internal review found low utilisation and no clear path to profitability.

Atiku noted that the government had celebrated the restart of the Port Harcourt refinery in November 2024, claiming it was running at 70 per cent capacity. He said the administration could not claim credit when the plants appeared to be working and later describe them as inherited liabilities when problems emerged.

The former vice president called for clear answers on where the additional funds went and what products or savings were delivered to Nigerians. He insisted that after more than three years in office, the Tinubu administration must accept responsibility for the results of its own decisions rather than continue to blame its predecessors.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper