Calls Intensify for President Tinubu to Resign as Petroleum Minister Amid Oil Sector Crisis

The ongoing crisis in Nigeria's oil industry has intensified calls for President Bola Tinubu to resign from his position as Petroleum Minister. Since the abrupt removal of the fuel subsidy on his first day in office, stability in the sector remains elusive, leaving many Nigerians disappointed.

On Wednesday, during the 19th Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu dismissed five ministers for underperformance in a significant cabinet reshuffle. Additionally, he recommended seven new ministerial appointees for Senate screening and reassigned ten ministers to different ministries.

Before these changes, stakeholders and some civil society organizations (CSOs) had urged Tinubu to step down as Petroleum Minister to enhance transparency in the oil sector. They also called for the dismissal of key officials within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The controversies surrounding the withdrawal and purported reinstatement of fuel subsidies, coupled with NNPCL's repeated failures to revitalize local refineries, fueled these demands. The Port Harcourt Refinery, managed by NNPCL in Rivers State, failed to start operations in August 2023 after approximately six delays, despite the "$1.5 billion approved in 2021 for the refinery and an additional $1.4 billion" in funding, as highlighted by the Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria, All Progressives Congress (APC), and APC Youth Vanguard for Change.

Stakeholders interviewed by the DAILY POST expressed their surprise at Tinubu's inability to restructure the oil industry. They argued that unless the president steps down as Petroleum Minister, it will be challenging to oversee and investigate alleged misconduct within NNPCL. Former Voice of Nigeria Director-General, Osita Okechukwu, stated that Tinubu’s voluntary resignation as minister would be a strategic move to address the situation effectively.

Okechukwu contended that the Coordinating Policy Unit, led by Hadiza Bala Usman, lacks the capacity to "monitor or even take a cursory glance at the Petroleum Ministry," as it would involve overseeing her principal, the President. He added that the government's inability to make any of the country’s four refineries functional has caused Nigerians to lose faith in democracy, resulting in "hunger and multidimensional poverty."

He further noted that Nigeria has wasted over $70 billion on importing refined petroleum products, causing a significant imbalance in the nation's foreign exchange earnings. Okechukwu urged Tinubu to "complete the reshuffle process by relinquishing the post of Minister of Petroleum Resources as a matter of urgent national importance." According to him, this step would help "weed out the less-than-transparent Oil Mafia."

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also criticized Tinubu’s decision to retain the Petroleum Minister role, arguing that it is illogical for a president to hold both positions.