On Monday, December 30, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) addressed the rumors surrounding the potential exit of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, in January 2025. NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the final decision regarding Kyari’s future with the company, but the claims about his departure are false.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Soneye dismissed the rumors, stating, “I don’t know anything about that; all those things are rumors and false. The man (Mele Kyari) has his time and tenure; the president has the final say. As the Minister of Petroleum, anything he wants to do, he will do. For us, it is to continue with our work and do it right.”
Some industry experts have speculated that Kyari, who will turn 60 years old on January 8, 2025, might retire and be replaced by Bayo Ojulari. However, Soneye emphasized that NNPC appointments are based on skill, expertise, and the ability to deliver results, not on ethnicity or religion.
“This is a global energy company. Movement in the company is based on expertise, skills, and ability to deliver, not on the basis that you are from X, Y, or Z; you are Muslim or Christian,” he said. “We look for professionals who can deliver, and we have Dutch, American, and British managing directors. If we focus on things like religion or ethnicity, we would miss out on the best talent.”
The NNPC spokesperson also referred to the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which states that the tenure of the GCEO is expected to last until 2027, in line with the company’s regulations.
Kyari was reappointed by President Tinubu in November 2023 to continue leading NNPC, and his tenure has seen significant developments, including the company’s transition to a limited liability business in July 2022.
This comes amid some controversy over ethnic concerns raised by Nigerian professor Farooq Kperogi in his article, Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC, accusing the president of favoritism in his NNPC appointments. Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai also weighed in, but the presidency, through spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, dismissed these claims as political attacks.
