Paul Ibe, spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed suggestions that his principal plans to sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to friends, describing the controversial remark as “a joke taken too far.”
Speaking on Trust TV Sunday during a discussion on opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections, Ibe sought to set the record straight on Atiku’s position regarding the petroleum sector.
“That interview was a banter between His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and the reporter, and he made that joke—that was mischief taken too far about selling it to his friends,” Ibe explained.
He emphasized that the real message from that interview should focus on disposing of underperforming government assets rather than the offhand comment about friends.
“The takeaway should be that all those moribund assets should be disposed of,” Ibe said, noting that successive administrations have squandered resources maintaining non-functional oil sector infrastructure.
The spokesperson pointed to Nigeria’s defunct refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri as examples of government waste, questioning why workers continue receiving salaries despite producing nothing.
“Why must we hold on to those assets? Government has no business doing business. Government should create an enabling environment for business,” he argued.
Context
The controversy dates back to the 2019 presidential campaign when Atiku told business leaders in Lagos he would privatize the NNPC “even if they are going to kill me.”
At the same event, he made the contentious statement about enriching friends rather than family members if elected, adding, “Are my friends not entitled to be enriched? As long as there is no element of corruption there.”
The remarks sparked widespread criticism, forcing Atiku to clarify his position weeks later. During a meeting with grassroots leaders in Kaduna State, he insisted the NNPC would be sold “to Nigerians for the development of the country,” not to personal associates.
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