The Coalition of Niger Delta People for Development (CONFODEV) has declared its support for the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, while also passing a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, CONFODEV—which comprises groups such as the Niger Delta Development Agenda (NDDA), Niger Delta Renaissance and Development Movement, Rivers State Ex-Agitators Network, Ndigbo Progressive Youths Coalition, and the Niger Delta Liberators and Ex-Agitators Forum—dismissed recent allegations of corruption and marginalisation against Ojulari.
The coalition described the accusations as “baseless, politically motivated, and a smear campaign orchestrated by enemies of development.”
According to CONFODEV, Ojulari has within just four months in office introduced reforms that boosted crude oil production, revitalized infrastructure, and expanded empowerment projects to oil-producing communities.
The coalition alleged that entrenched interests benefiting from “nepotistic contract awards” under past administrations were behind the attacks, noting that Ojulari’s commitment to transparency and equity had unsettled corrupt actors.
As part of its resolutions, the coalition announced it would:
- Condemn politically sponsored attacks against the NNPCL GCEO.
- Pass a vote of confidence on President Tinubu and Ojulari for repositioning the oil sector.
- Urge Niger Delta youths not to be used as tools by corrupt interests.
- Call on the Presidency and NNPCL to continue dismantling the monopoly of pipeline surveillance contracts along ethnic lines.
“Those calling for Mr. Ojulari’s sack have exposed themselves as agents of sabotage,” the group said. “The Nigerian public must rally behind a leader whose vision aligns with our collective aspiration for a just and prosperous oil industry.”
CONFODEV vowed to continue mobilizing support for reforms in the oil sector and resist any attempt to drag the Niger Delta back into an era of exploitation and injustice.
