Atiku Abubakar Demands Suspension of NNPCL Deal

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the immediate suspension of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited's (NNPCL) deal with two Chinese firms, Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xingcheng Fuzhou Industrial Park Operation Management Co. Ltd, aimed at restarting the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku criticized the partnership as a dangerous gamble for Nigeria's economic future, accusing the Tinubu administration of attempting to mortgage national assets through opaque arrangements. He expressed skepticism regarding the technical credibility and transparency of the deal, highlighting that Sanjiang Chemical has no public record of operating a full-scale crude oil refinery and that Xingcheng lacks experience in petroleum engineering.

Atiku demanded a public disclosure of the terms of the memorandum of understanding, a technical due diligence report, and a full legislative investigation into the billions previously spent on refinery rehabilitation without measurable results.