In a dramatic development that has raised eyebrows across the oil and gas sector, the Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, was allegedly compelled to resign following a covert operation by top Nigerian security officials in Abuja.
According to credible sources, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Adeola Ajayi, summoned Ojulari to a secret late-night meeting on Friday. During the meeting, he was allegedly pressured into signing a resignation letter, reportedly without the prior knowledge or authorization of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who appointed him in April 2025.
Insiders familiar with the incident described it as a “civilian coup d’état” orchestrated by a powerful clique within the national security and petroleum governance structure.
The abrupt move has sparked concern over the unchecked influence of unelected actors within Nigeria’s most strategic economic sector.
Sources allege that Mr. Ojulari was questioned about his purported association with Olatimbo Ayinde, a controversial UK-based Nigerian oil tycoon currently under investigation in the United Kingdom for alleged bribery of former Nigerian oil ministers. Ojulari, however, reportedly denied any relationship with Ayinde, stating he had rebuffed multiple attempts by her or her agents to interfere in NNPC operations.
Ayinde was the subject of a recent Peoples Gazette exposé that accused Nigerian authorities of obstructing UK prosecutors' requests for evidence in her case.
Ojulari’s removal also comes in the wake of criticism over his approval of a costly NNPC delegation to an international oil and gas conference in Kigali. Although allegations surfaced that millions of dollars were spent on the trip, the embattled NNPC boss has denied any misconduct, attributing the backlash to politically motivated campaigns aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
Mr. Ojulari, a seasoned former Shell executive, was appointed to head NNPC Ltd in April as part of President Tinubu’s effort to inject professionalism and reform into Nigeria’s oil industry.
His sudden exit, however, has raised fresh questions about transparency and internal power struggles within the corporation.
At the time of filing this report, Mr. Ojulari had yet to publicly respond to the development. Multiple efforts to obtain official comments from the EFCC, SSS, and the Presidency were unsuccessful.
The unfolding episode has heightened public anxiety over due process in governance and further exposed the lingering tension between anti-corruption efforts and political influence in Nigeria’s extractive industries.
