Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere and Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), have backed former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, over his response to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) following the invitation to tour the Port Harcourt Refinery and verify its current operational status.

The invitation comes in response to Obasanjo’s recent interview with Channels Television, where he referenced advice from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) indicating that the refinery might not function efficiently. SPDC, which was approached for equity participation in the refinery, reportedly raised concerns about corruption affecting its operations.

The former president also accused NNPCL of allegedly misleading Nigerians about the refinery’s performance.

Reacting, the Secretary-General of the Afenifere, Sola Ebiseni, faulted the NNPCL for inviting Obasanjo through newspaper publications after he rightly commented on the management deficiencies that had grounded Nigeria’s refineries for years.

Ebieni described the invitation as sheer arrogance and urged NNPCL to avoid resorting to disrespectful politics.

He said, “What former President Obasanjo said was quite illuminating about the way the affairs of the country have been or are being handled. He has been out of office since 2007, and until now, what we have seen is the epileptic performance of the refineries. So, it is sheer arrogance and disrespect for the NNPCL to claim they invited him to come and see.

“If you want to invite a statesman and former president like Obasanjo, no matter how you feel about the statement he made, you shouldn’t resort to disrespectful politics. If you believe that what he said does not reflect the current state of the plants, you should pay him a courtesy visit to present your views about the situation. But to go on the pages of newspapers to paint a picture of a liar—which is what the NNPCL’s action implies—leaves much to be desired.”

Also speaking to Punch, the National Secretary of the CUPP, Peter Ameh, said inviting Obasanjo through newspapers amounted to public ridicule and utter disrespect for his history, reputation, and record in the country.

Ameh claimed that NNPCL usually prioritises politics over issues affecting the lives of Nigerians.

He said, “You cannot invite Obasanjo on the pages of newspapers. Even the GMD cannot invite another company head in such a manner, not to mention someone who has served both as a General in the Nigerian Army and as a military Head of State, as well as a two-term democratically elected president of the country. The NNPCL must learn how to do things the right way and avoid politicising everything, as this is why our economy has nosedived.

“That is simply the NNPCL’s usual way of prioritising politics over issues that affect the lives of ordinary Nigerians. If Obasanjo says the refineries are not working after we have wasted about $2 billion on them, he is merely stating that we should have handed the plants over to private individuals to get them working optimally through private partnerships.”