Amid the controversy surrounding claims of his sack or forced resignation, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari resumed work on Monday at the company’s headquarters.
Ojulari also spoke at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) oil and gas sector event held in Lagos, reaffirming his leadership role despite recent reports of forced resignation.
Impeccable sources at the NNPC told LEADERSHIP that Ojulari came to the office on Monday at his usual time and went about his business as usual.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the NNPCL’s boss attended the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) NAICE 2025 conference virtually, rather than in person.
The controversy began when reports surfaced that Ojulari had been coerced into signing a resignation letter late last week following an alleged operation involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the State Security Service (SSS).
However, the Presidency quickly dismissed these claims as false and clarified that Ojulari did not tender any resignation, insisting that he remains the substantive head of the NNPCL.
Further complicating the situation were allegations of financial management and his purported links to a $21 million scandal.
Critics also accused him of living a lavish lifestyle, including flying costly private jet to international conferences and extravagant personal celebrations, claiming that these contrasted with the financial difficulties faced by the national oil company.
The allegations have remained unsubstantiated as the Presidency, the DSS or the EFCC have distanced themselves from the purported resignation or the NNPCL’s boss sack.
