August 22, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, on Thursday, said contrary to false claim by former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, neither Wale Tinubu nor President Bola Tinubu has any interest in the OVH acquisition.
In a statement by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Femi Soneye, the company declared that as a commercial entity, it is devoid of political interest, stressing that it shall continue to conduct its business full of commitment to national interest and value creation for the benefit of all stakeholders.
THEWILL reports that remarks was in response to a statement by Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in which the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 election was quoted to have lamented “the criminal hijack of the NNPC by corporate cabals around the current President”.
The former vice president had claimed that the retention of Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, was a compensation for the alleged acquisition of NNPC Retail Ltd by OVH in which he claimed Mr Wale Tinubu held 49% stake.
The Turaki Adamawa further alleged that the NNPC Retail Ltd—OVH acquisition deal was part of a grand scheme by President Bola Tinubu, to integrate his personal business interests into Nigeria’s public enterprises at the federal level.
However, Soneye said the NNPC Ltd is a commercially-focused and profit-driven company managed by professionals, who are committed to adding value to the nation.
Stressing that it shall resist any attempt to draw its Board and Management into partisan politics the national oil company also said investment decisions by the Corporation’s Management are strictly determined on the basis of commercial viability and national interest.
Soneye explained that at the time NNPC Ltd acquired OVH in 2022, Oando (in which Mr Wale Tinubu has equity interest), had fully divested its equity in OVH to the two other partners – Vitol and Helios.
“Oando actually began its divestment in 2016, with Vitol and Helios coming in as equity partners, leading to the change of name from Oando to OVH.
“In 2019, Oando fully divested its equity interest in OVH resulting in Vitol and Helios holding 50% equity interests respectively.
“Upon acquisition of OVH by NNPC Ltd, both NNPC Retail Ltd and OVH effectively became subsidiaries of NNPC Ltd. “However, based on professional advice and sound commercial considerations, NNPC Ltd opted to merge NNPC Retail Limited into OVH, and thereafter retain NNPC Retail Limited as the company name post-merger.
“The first step of merging NNPC Retail Ltd into OVH, has been completed and the post-merger renaming as NNPC Retail Ltd is ongoing.
“Contrary to the false alarm raised, neither Wale Tinubu nor the President has any interest in the OVH acquisition”, Soneye clarified.
The NNPC Ltd said as a businessman, the former Vice President should know that effectiveness in business leadership is best measured by balance sheets and bottom lines rather than pedestrian considerations.
Soneye said that the management of NNPC Ltd, under the leadership of Mele Kyari, has done very well in growing the company’s fortunes as shown in the 2023 Audited Financial Statement (AFS), where it reported N3.3 trillion as profit after tax.
