Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL), alongside several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), have strongly condemned the recent calls for the removal of Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), stating that allegations against him are baseless.
Ambassador Abdul DanBature, the speaker of AYAGL, stated in a press release on behalf of the groups that the push for Kyari’s dismissal is a disguised attempt to undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following unsuccessful efforts to exploit peaceful protests to destabilize the nation.
DanBature asserted that those advocating for Kyari’s removal are likely involved in oil theft and are seeking revenge against the President by using the demand for Kyari’s ouster as a pretext.
He pointed out that under Kyari’s leadership, Nigeria’s oil production has significantly increased, rising from a low of 900,000 barrels per month in the last quarter of 2022 to 1.53 million barrels per day, including condensates, in July 2024, according to data from the upstream regulator.
