‘It Was A Joke Taken Too Far’ — Atiku’s Aide Clarifies NNPC Remark

The spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has dismissed as misleading the widely circulated claim that Atiku planned to sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to his friends, insisting the comment was made in jest during a media interview.

Naijaonpoint reports that Ibe made the clarification on Sunday during an appearance on Trust TV, where he spoke on opposition politics and the African Democratic Congress’s (ADC) preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Ibe stated, “Let me correct you, please. That interview was a banter between His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and the reporter, and he made that joke. That was mischief taken too far about selling it to his friends.

“It was a joke taken too far, and that should not be the takeaway from that interview. The takeaway should be that all those moribund assets should be disposed of.”

Ibe, defending Atiku’s longstanding position on the oil sector, said Nigeria has continued to waste resources on unproductive assets. He said the country must embrace privatisation to improve efficiency and attract investment.

He further stated, “This administration has initiated a process to sell some of these assets. None of the refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, all over the place, are working, yet people are being paid salaries for doing nothing.

“Why must we hold on to those assets? Government has no business doing business. Government should create an enabling environment for business.”

Atiku’s 2019 Comments Still Draw Criticism

Atiku’s position on privatising the NNPC has long stirred controversy. During a business forum in Lagos ahead of the 2019 elections, the former Vice President declared his commitment to selling off the national oil company, even if it cost him his life.

“I am committed to privatising NNPC, I said it. I swear. Even if they are going to kill me, I will do it.

“I am not going to enrich members of my family, but my friends. Are my friends not entitled to be enriched? As long as there is no element of corruption there,” he said at the time.

The remarks were widely interpreted as a signal of crony capitalism and prompted a series of clarifications from the Atiku camp.

A month after the Lagos event, Atiku addressed the backlash during a meeting with grassroots leaders in Kaduna, where he reiterated that any privatisation of the NNPC would be carried out transparently and in the interest of all Nigerians.

“The NNPC would be sold to Nigerians for the development of the country,” he stated.

The former Vice President maintained that his vision for the oil sector was rooted in reform and national development, not personal gain.