Bayo Ojulari
Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has dismissed insinuations in certain media circles that he was “abducted and forced to resign” by security officials.
Describing the story carried by an online news platform as nothing more than a poorly scripted work of fiction, Mr. Ojulari said on Saturday he voluntarily tendered his resignation after due consultations with higher authorities in Abuja.
According to him, his decision followed the recent official trip to Kigali for an oil and gas conference—a legitimate business engagement aimed at advancing Nigeria’s energy sector interests.
“I was neither arrested nor strong-armed into resigning,” Mr. Ojulari clarified with amusement. “In fact, the only ‘pressure’ I faced was from my own conscience and commitment to accountability after the unnecessary controversy stirred around the Kigali trip. My resignation was a personal decision, submitted through the appropriate channels—not at gunpoint in some spy movie scenario.”
He equally denied the media report that the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi, orchestrated an illegal “coup” to remove him.
“If I were to be ‘forced out,’ it certainly wouldn’t be in silence—I’d have at least negotiated for a better headline!” Ojulari jokingly remarked, as he insisted the claim was i not only baseless but laughable.
On his alleged links with British-Nigerian businesswoman Olatimbo Ayinde, Mr. Ojulari maintained that he had no personal or professional dealings with her and finds it curious that her name keeps appearing in unrelated matters. “I’ve spent decades in the oil and gas industry, building a reputation on transparency and expertise—not gossip columns,” he stated firmly.
While urging the public to disregard this fictional account and instead rely on verified statements from official channels, Mr. Ojulari said: “If I were going to stage a dramatic exit, I’d at least make sure it came with a soundtrack and better lighting.”
