A coalition of southern socio-political and youth groups led by the Yoruba Council Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Yoruba L’Agbaye) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend the issuance of petroleum importation licences, alleging a coordinated plot by powerful oil cabals and union leaders to undermine the Dangote Refinery and drag Nigeria back into fuel import dependency.
The coalition said this in a petition dated November 3, 2025, and signed by president of the Yoruba Council Worldwide, Aare Oladotun Hassan, the coalition, which includes the Nigeria Coalition Group (NCG), Nigeria Youth Coalition (NYC), Coalition of Southern Groups (CSG), and National Youth Stakeholders Forum (NYSF).
The coalition disclosed that the alleged sabotage has already caused over ₦30 billion in national economic losses.
It further accused some major oil marketers and unions of working with complicit government officials to frustrate Dangote’s operations.
They described the campaign of blackmail against Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, as “an unpatriotic assault on national energy security.”
“Dangote has invested over $20 billion to build Africa’s largest single-train refinery with a 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity, rising to 1.4 million BPD.
“Instead of supporting this landmark national asset, vested interests are bent on crippling it through malicious propaganda and illegal import licences,” the petition stated.
The coalition accused officials of top oil government agencies of issuing import licences in contravention of Section 317 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), describing it as a direct affront to Tinubu’s Renewed Hope and Nigeria First policies.
They further alleged that some union leaders had incited staff within the refinery to disrupt operations, describing the move as a “deliberate economic war” against local industrialisation.
The petition also referenced the alleged involvement of former and current NNPCL officials, calling for a multi-agency forensic investigation supervised by the Attorney-General of the Federation.
“Those behind these acts of sabotage must be investigated and prosecuted. We urge Your Excellency to order a full forensic audit of all implicated individuals, including tracing their financial transactions, BVNs, and illicit earnings from petroleum sales,” the coalition demanded.
Commending Dangote’s recent ₦2 trillion investment in 10,000 new fuel tankers to ensure nationwide product distribution at no additional cost, the Yoruba Council said such patriotism deserves national backing, not hostility.
They urged President Tinubu to emulate global economic protection models, including higher tariffs or outright bans on fuel imports, to safeguard Nigeria’s energy independence and local investors.
“No serious nation sabotages its own investors. America protects its manufacturers; China defends its industries. Nigeria must now defend its refinery,” the petition declared.
The Yoruba Council also announced plans for a “Grand Solidarity Rally for Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Refinery” on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at the JJT Park, Alausa, Ikeja, urging Nigerians to wear white and jeans in a show of unity.
“This is not just about Dangote,” Hassan said. “It is about protecting Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and stopping oil cabals from holding the nation hostage again.”
