In what sources describe as a “civilian coup,” the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has reportedly resigned under duress following intense pressure from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Ojulari, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in April 2025 after an illustrious career with Shell, was allegedly whisked away last Friday night to an undisclosed location in Abuja. There, insiders claim, he was coerced into signing a resignation letter — a move said to have occurred without the president’s knowledge or consent.
According to credible sources, the dramatic operation was orchestrated by EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi. The development has been widely interpreted as part of an escalating internal power struggle within the nation’s all-important oil sector.
At the center of the storm is Ms. Olatimbo Ayinde, a British-Nigerian oil executive with rising yet controversial influence in the Tinubu administration. Ojulari was reportedly questioned over his alleged ties to Ayinde, to which he denied having any personal connection. He, however, admitted knowing of alleged attempts by Ayinde to sway decisions at the NNPC — efforts he firmly resisted, according to those familiar with the investigation.
“This was not a resignation out of free will,” a source familiar with the ordeal told The Gazette. “It was engineered to sideline Ojulari and advance certain interests in the oil and gas sector.”
The forced resignation has sparked concerns about transparency, institutional independence, and growing signs of factionalism within the federal government, particularly regarding control over Nigeria’s lucrative petroleum industry.
As of press time, the Presidency has yet to issue an official statement regarding Ojulari’s resignation or the reported circumstances surrounding it.
The incident underscores deepening tensions within Nigeria’s power structure and casts fresh uncertainty on the direction of petroleum sector reforms under the Tinubu administration.
