OVH: NNPCL reacts to Atiku’s claim on subsidiary acquisition by Tinubu’s nephew

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed claims by former Nigerian President, Atiku Abubakar, that the company allegedly sold its Retail Subsidiary to OVH, owned by President Bola Tinubu’s nephew, Wale Tinubu.

NNPCL’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, made this clarification on Thursday in response to Atiku’s claim.

Recall that Atiku, in a recent statement through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, lamented “the criminal hijack of the NNPC by corporate cabals around the current President.”

Atiku also claimed that the retention of Mr. Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd. was compensation for the alleged acquisition of NNPC Retail Ltd. by OVH, in which he asserted that Mr. Wale Tinubu held a 49 percent stake.

He further alleged that the NNPC Retail Ltd.-OVH acquisition deal was part of a grand scheme by President Tinubu to integrate his business interests into Nigeria’s public enterprises at the federal level.

However, NNPCL debunked all the claims made by Atiku.

According to NNPCL, contrary to the false alarm raised by Atiku, neither Wale Tinubu nor President Tinubu has any interest in the OVH acquisition.

The company insisted that, as a commercial entity, it is devoid of political interests and will continue to conduct its business with full commitment to national interest and value creation for the benefit of all stakeholders.

NNPCL vowed to resist any attempt to draw its board and management into partisan politics.

“We are a commercially focused and profit-driven company managed by professionals who are committed to adding value to the nation.

“Investment decisions by NNPC Ltd. management are strictly determined based on commercial viability and national interest,” the company stated.

It further explained that “At the time NNPC Ltd. acquired OVH in 2022, Oando (in which Mr. Wale Tinubu has an equity interest) had fully divested its equity in OVH to other partners – Vitol and Helios. Oando began its divestment in 2016, with Vitol and Helios coming in as equity partners, leading to the change of name from Oando to OVH.

“In 2019, Oando fully divested its equity interest in OVH, resulting in Vitol and Helios holding 50% equity interests, respectively. Upon the acquisition of OVH by NNPC Ltd., both NNPC Retail Ltd. and OVH effectively became subsidiaries of NNPC Ltd. However, based on professional advice and sound commercial considerations, NNPC Ltd. opted to merge NNPC Retail Limited into OVH, and thereafter retain NNPC Retail Limited as the company name post-merger.

“The first step of merging NNPC Retail Ltd. into OVH has been completed, and the post-merger renaming as NNPC Retail Ltd. is ongoing.

“As a businessman, the former Vice President should know that effectiveness in business leadership is best measured by balance sheets and bottom lines rather than pedestrian considerations.

“The management of NNPC Ltd., under the leadership of Mr. Mele Kyari, has done very well in growing the company’s fortunes, as shown in the 2023 Audited Financial Statement (AFS), where it reported N3.3 trillion as profit after tax,” it stated.