The Presidency has firmly denied swirling rumours that Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, has resigned under pressure from security agencies.
Over the weekend, social media was awash with reports that Ojulari had been “hijacked” and coerced into signing a resignation letter by EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and DSS boss Adeola Ajayi. These claims, attributed to unnamed sources in a Peoples Gazette report, alleged the interrogation was linked to a British-Nigerian oil mogul, Olatimbo Ayinde, who is reportedly influential within the current administration.
One source quoted in the report claimed:
“Mr Ojulari told us he didn’t know Olatimbo Ayinde.”
But in a sharp rebuttal, a reliable source in the Presidency told Vanguard that the story was “false and rubbish,” insisting there was no truth to the reports of a forced resignation.
President Tinubu appointed Ojulari in April 2025 with a clear mandate: restore investor confidence, improve NNPC’s operations, and turn the oil giant into a truly commercial entity. His appointment followed the sweeping sack of Mele Kyari and the previous NNPC board—a major shake-up in the petroleum sector.
For now, Ojulari remains in office, and the Presidency is urging Nigerians to disregard what it calls politically motivated misinformation.
