The Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum (NDENYLF), the umbrella body of youth groups and stakeholders from the oil-rich region, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the embattled Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, to vacate his office or face mass action that could disrupt national peace and oil production.
The forum, at a world press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, accused Ojulari of corruption, incompetence, and acts of economic sabotage, insisting that he had resigned on August 2, 2025, following corruption allegations but had “illegally refused to vacate office.”
Chairman of the Forum, Sir Jothan Lokpobiri Snr, said Ojulari’s continued stay was “unlawful, offensive to the Niger Delta people, and damaging to the credibility of the national oil company.”
Lokpobiri stressed that the leadership of NNPCL must shift to the Niger Delta for the sake of equity and stability.
“Nigeria cannot afford a national oil company without credible leadership. We have qualified engineers and technocrats in the Niger Delta who can lead immediately,” he declared.
The forum alleged that Ojulari diverted $21 million of NNPCL funds into the private account of his associate, Mr. Bashir Haske, a case already under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They also accused him of deliberately shutting down the Port Harcourt Refinery on May 24, 2025, barely months after it resumed production in December 2024 following a $1.5 billion rehabilitation, allegedly to sell it at scrap value to cronies while diverting crude allocations to allies.
According to the group, Ojulari’s tenure has also seen the unlawful sack of more than 400 Nigerian youths, many from the Niger Delta, worsening unemployment in the already restive region.
“These actions are unforgivable acts of corruption and sabotage against both the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole,” Lokpobiri told journalists.
Backing him, the forum’s spokesman and President-General of the Ogoni Youth Federation, Engr. Dr. Legborsi Yamaabana, said Ojulari’s continued stay in office was “a direct threat to peace.”
He said, “This is not a classroom debate. A man who resigned cannot remain in office unless reappointed by the President. To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Ojulari has not been reappointed.
“Beyond resignation, his actions are detrimental to cohesion, peace, and increasing oil production in the Niger Delta,” Yamaabana said.
The forum warned that if their demands were not met within seven days, Niger Delta youths would be compelled to embark on “decisive mass action” that could disrupt oil production and threaten national stability.
They argued that the fragile peace in the region, sustained through community engagement and surveillance contracts, was already under strain.
“Each leader you see here today represents thousands of followers. We have the control and command of our people to occupy Nigeria if need be. The NNPCL will not be comfortable for anybody who continues to tolerate Ojulari in office,” Lokpobiri warned.
The group said the alleged diversion of $21 million, reportedly meant for pipeline surveillance contractors, had already eroded investor confidence in NNPCL and the oil sector.
“If the GCEO of a national company has the impunity to divert public funds to private accounts within six months of assuming office, then keeping him longer is a danger to the entire country. Nigeria cannot afford such a risk,” Yamaabana said.
The forum appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to intervene by appointing a credible professional from the Niger Delta as GCEO of NNPCL while ensuring Ojulari faces prosecution for alleged financial crimes.
They maintained that their action was not intended to incite violence but to prevent growing anger in the region from boiling over.
“We want peace and progress in oil and gas production. But as it stands, Ojulari’s actions threaten this peace. The grumbling within communities is growing, and unless decisive action is taken, it could escalate beyond control,” Lokpobiri cautioned.
The youth leaders concluded that their demand was peaceful but firm: “Ojulari must go. Justice must prevail.”
