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FG under fire as NNPC confirms refineries not working
Opposition leaders on Saturday criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration following remarks by the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, which cast serious doubt on the viability of the country’s refineries despite the billions invested in their rehabilitation.
On Thursday, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, stated that the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries might never resume operations, even after about $18bn had been spent on their turnaround.
On Friday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, echoed similar concerns, revealing that the company was now considering selling off the refineries as years of rehabilitation had failed to yield meaningful results due to the facilities’ outdated status.
Ojulari made the disclosure in an interview with Bloomberg in Vienna, Austria, noting that the country had invested heavily without any tangible outcome.
Reacting in separate interviews with our correspondents on Saturday, some opposition leaders tackled the Tinubu administration, demanding a thorough criminal investigation into the alleged corruption linked to the failed turnaround maintenance of the refineries.
They argued that the government cannot simply move on without identifying and prosecuting those responsible for the massive losses.
The leaders also accused both the current administration and its predecessor under Muhammadu Buhari of misleading Nigerians about the operational status of the refineries.
While acknowledging the failure of government-led public asset management, they warned that selling the refineries without strict safeguards could lead to a repeat of the underperformance seen in the power sector after the privatisation of the electricity distribution companies.
Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari as the GCEO of the NNPCL on April 2, 2025, following an appointment by President Bola Tinubu. The new NNPC helmsman’s approach brings a shift in tone from the previous leadership.
In 2019, Kyari had assured Nigerians that the NNPC would deliver the country’s four refineries before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure on May 29, 2023.
However, Ojulari’s comments on Thursday stood in sharp contrast to those of his predecessor.
Speaking with Bloomberg at the 9th OPEC International Seminar, he revealed that a strategic review of NNPC’s refinery operations was ongoing and expected to be concluded before the end of the year.
“We’re reviewing all our refinery strategies now. We hope before the end of the year, we’ll be able to conclude that review. That review may lead to us doing things slightly differently,” he said.
When asked whether the review could lead to selling off the refineries, Ojulari responded, “What we’re saying is that sale is not out of the question. All the options are on the table, to be frank, but that decision will be based on the outcome of the reviews we’re doing now.”
Echoing sentiments shared by Dangote, Ojulari attributed some of the setbacks to obsolete infrastructure and underperforming technologies.
“We made quite a lot of investments over the last several years and brought in a lot of technologies, but we’ve been challenged. Some of those technologies have not worked as we expected so far. But also, as you know, when you’re refining a very old refinery that has been abandoned for some time, what we’re finding is that it’s becoming a little bit more complicated,” he explained.
Dangote’s cautious optimism
While addressing members of the Global CEO Africa from the Lagos Business School at his Lekki refinery on Thursday, Dangote expressed pessimism over the functionality of the refineries. He doubted the possibility of the state-owned refineries working again.
Dangote said the refineries under the NNPC management had gulped up to $18bn, yet they have refused to work.
According to Dangote, the 650,000-capacity refinery he built after the government of late Umar Yar’adua aborted his acquisition of the government refineries now has over 50 per cent of its output dedicated to Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), saying that even government refineries committed just 22 per cent of their production to petrol.
Dangote recalled how he and his team had to return the nation’s refineries to Yar’adua, a few months after former President Olusegun Obasanjo left office in 2007.
According to him, the former managers of the refinery had told Yar’Adua that Obasanjo sold the facilities below their costs as a parting gift to him and his colleagues.
“The refineries that we bought before, which were owned by Nigeria, were doing about 22 per cent of PMS. We bought the refineries in January 2007. Then we had to return them to the government because there was a change of government. And the Managing Director at that time convinced Yar’adua that the refineries would work.
“They said they just gave them to us as a parting gift or so. And as of today, they have spent about $18bn on those refineries, and they are still not working. And I don’t think, and I doubt very much if they will work,” he said.
Dangote emphasised that the turnaround maintenance of the refineries was like trying to modernise a car built 40 years ago, when technology has advanced.
“(The turnaround maintenance) is like you trying to modernise a car that was built 40 years ago, when technology and everything have changed. Even if you change the engine, the body will not be able to take the shock of that new technology engine,” he stated.
Dangote’s comment buttressed Obasanjo’s comments last year about the refineries, two of which were shut down again after they were declared operational by Kyari in Q4 2024.
Obasanjo’s warning
Obasanjo had stated that the NNPC was aware that it could not operate the refineries, saying international oil companies like Shell once refused to run the facilities when he requested them to do so.
According to Obasanjo, some Nigerians, including Dangote, once paid $750m to take over the refineries; however, his successor, Yar’adua, aborted the deal.
“I ran to him (Yar’Adua), I said, ‘You know this is not right’. He said, ‘Well, NNPC said they can do it.’ I said, ‘NNPC cannot do it’. I told my successor that ‘the refineries, from what I heard and know, will not work, and when you want to sell them, you will not get anybody to buy them at $200m as scrap’. And that is the situation we are in.
“So, why do we do this kind of thing to ourselves? The NNPC knew that they could not do it, but they knew they could eat and carry on with the corruption that was going on in the NNPC. When people were there to do it, they put pressure. In a civilised society, those people should be in jail,” Obasanjo had stated.
Again, in January after the Tinubu administration embarked on the refineries’ fresh rehabilitation, Obasanjo said, “I was told not too long ago that since that time, more than $2bn have been squandered on the refineries and they still will not work.
“If a company like Shell tells me what they told me, I will believe them. If anybody tells you now that it (the refinery) is working, why are they now with Aliko (Dangote)? And Aliko will make his refinery work; not only make it work, he will make it deliver.”
Obasanjo concluded with a Yoruba proverb, comparing inflated claims about the refineries’ performance to a farmer who planted 100 heaps of yam but falsely claimed to have planted 200.
“They say that after he has harvested 100 heaps of yams, he will also have 100 heaps of lies. You know what that means,” he said.
Displeased with Obasanjo’s comments, former NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, issued a statement, inviting the ex-President for a tour of the facilities.
Soneye boasted that the rehabilitation supervised by the Kyari-led NNPC was different from the past as it was a complete overhaul designed to meet world-class standards.
Tinubu under fire
However, since taking over the leadership of NNPCL, Ojulari had delivered a contrasting verdict on the state of the refineries, sparking wide reactions from opposition leaders in the country.
Following his admission that the refineries are not viable and may eventually be sold, opposition parties and other Nigerians on Saturday berated President Tinubu’s administration for the misleading claim that the refineries can work and have indeed started working.
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Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, accused the All Progressives Congress-led government of deceiving Nigerians over the state of the country’s refineries, saying the recent revelations about their non-viability confirm what he described as a long-standing pattern of lies and misgovernance.
According to Tanko, the government’s failure to conduct due diligence before making repeated promises on the functionality of the refineries shows a deep-seated disregard for the Nigerian people.
“These are parts of the pack of lies they have been telling Nigerians. Now, the lie has unveiled itself. That means you cannot trust this government or whatever they tell you,” he said.
According to him, the lack of integrity in both the current and immediate past administrations is evident.
“There is no truth in whatever they are doing. Moreover, integrity hasn’t been part of their governance,” Tanko added. He blamed the government for not properly assessing the true state of the refineries before making public declarations.
“That also means they did not do due diligence in the first place to know the actual status of the refinery before making pronouncements that they would ensure it is working,” he said.
Tanko traced the crisis back to the Buhari administration, noting that President Tinubu’s decision to continue on the same path has only worsened the situation.
“This did not begin today; it started with Buhari’s regime and ended up with them. No wonder President Tinubu said he would continue from where Buhari left. But not only have they taken off from where Buhari left, they have also taken us far worse than where he left us,” he stated.
He condemned what he described as the government’s disregard for transparency and accountability. “That is the situation we have found ourselves in. It is about lies, disdain, and lack of respect for the Nigerian people,” Tanko said.
Similarly, the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Mr Peter Ameh, accused both the current administration and the immediate past government of former President Muhammadu Buhari of misleading the Nigerian public.
He called on the Federal Government to open a criminal investigation into the billions of dollars invested in the country’s refineries, describing the failed rehabilitation efforts as a monumental waste of public resources.
“Before the APC government even talks about the sales, they must first carry out a due investigation into the corruption surrounding the huge amount of money invested in the refineries,” he said. “There was a lot of money, billions of dollars, wasted on that project. Who is going to give an account of that? Who will be held responsible?”
“I think the most important thing to do first now is to open a criminal investigation into the resources that have been channeled into the turnaround maintenance and restarting of the refineries,” he said. “And those people must be held accountable.”
He also expressed displeasure over the inability of the media to educate the public on the status of the refineries while the government gave false hope.
“It is an indictment of the journalists and both the current and immediate past administration of Buhari,” he said. “Journalists must be able to have basic knowledge of any information they are churning out to the public because I saw a lot of reports on social media of how journalists were taken to the refineries to give a clean bill of health that the refineries were working.”
He added that Ojulari’s admission had vindicated Obasanjo.
“I believe that what Obasanjo stood and clamoured for, which I have also written about, is the fact that the best option is privatisation,” he said.
“The government should raise a committee that will bring all the people involved in the refinery scam to a public trial, like the Oputa Panel, so that they can tell the Nigerian people publicly how the billions of dollars were spent on the refineries and yet there is nothing working. And yet they could have the audacity and temerity to announce to Nigerians that the refineries were already working. If we don’t do this, for me, we will be emboldening corruption in this country,” he maintained.
Also, former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, expressed reservations about the Federal Government’s proposed sale of Nigeria’s refineries, saying while he does not support the idea in principle, it may be the only viable option left given the country’s history of wasteful spending.
In a post made on his verified X (Formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, the former lawmaker said, “I don’t like the idea of selling our refineries when other countries can efficiently run their refineries; but it looks like the lesser devil is to sell them so that we don’t have to spend another $7bn to rehabilitate them.”
Sani noted that efforts at turnaround maintenance in the past had proven to be economically draining with little to no results.
“Anything about rehabilitation is financially scary in this country,” he said, adding that he feared the proposed sale could replicate the failures recorded in Nigeria’s electricity sector.
“I also hope the refineries will not go the way of the Discos,” he warned.
Also speaking with Sunday PUNCH, political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, said, “I said it so many times, but because they wanted to spend the money, they said they could repair it. Anyone who understands how such things are run will know that such things will be a waste. It was obvious. It should have been sold a long time ago if they listened.”
On his part, the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Dr Olu Agunloye, said the NNPC MD deserves credit for saying the truth.
“At least they came out to say the truth. They now need to do what they need to do. Stop the corruption and get to work.”
Agunloye said it was a mistake to reverse Obasanjo’s sale of the refineries.
“Remember, former President Obasanjo said he wanted to sell the refinery. So, it is what we have known all along. So we expect them to do the next level. If a single man can build a refinery, why can’t the government build one?
“There are people who can handle it, but they must not do to them what they did to Dangote.”
A member of the House of Representatives, Henry Okojie, also declared that state-owned petroleum refineries in Port-Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna are critical national assets and, as such, Nigerians have a say on whether to sell or retain them.
The Edo-born lawmaker, who doubles as the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream), said his committee would speak on behalf of millions of Nigerians on the fate of the refineries, at the appropriate time.
He said, “We represent millions of Nigerians who own these refineries. This is not to fault the NNPCL boss or the highly respected Alhaji Dangote. As the committee overseeing the oil company, it is our duty to advise the Federal Government in the best interest of Nigerians.
“If the committee finds out that the money being spent on the maintenance of the refineries is money not well spent, we will make our position known. At the same time, it is rather too hasty to say that the refineries would be sold.”
Further expressing concerns, Okojie added, “Just a few months ago, Nigerians were elated when they were told that the Port Harcourt refinery had resumed full operation. Kaduna and Warri were to follow suit. What then has happened that we are now being told that the refineries could be sold?” he asked.
On what the committee would do in the weeks ahead following the comments made by Ojulari and Dangote, the federal lawmaker said a comprehensive investigation is underway to unmask possible fraud in the system.
“The committee will carry out a holistic and forensic investigation to unravel all irregularities and fraud,” he pledged.
He also assured the readiness of his committee to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to unravel the true state of the refineries in the public interest.
“We will work with experts on the way forward. We will visit the refineries and see things for ourselves. One thing is clear, we cannot encourage the Federal Government to continue to pump money into a project that is not economically viable. At the same time, we will not permit anyone to sabotage efforts to get these refineries to work for the nation. This is all I can say for now,” he added.
The PUNCH reports that the Federal Government has consistently expended resources on the refineries, which went moribund many years ago. It was gathered that $1.4bn was approved for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery in 2021; $897m was earmarked for Warri, and $586m for Kaduna refineries.
N100bn was reportedly spent on refinery rehabilitation in 2021, with N8.33bn monthly expenditure. $396.33m was spent on Turnaround Maintenance between 2013 and 2017. Despite all the financial allocations, the refineries remain unproductive at the moment. (PUNCH)
More than 700 Nigerians remain stranded in South Africa three days before the June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups.
It was gathered that despite President Bola Tinubu’s approval of funds for their evacuation, bureaucratic delays have prevented the release of the money, leaving hundreds stranded amid escalating xenophobic tensions.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that although the President approved funding for four additional rescue flights after the first evacuation brought home 258 Nigerians, the money had yet to reach the designated carrier, Air Peace.
Stranded Nigerians in South Africa awaiting evacuation
This delay, according to officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa, is stalling the evacuation operation and leaving hundreds of Nigerians exposed to attacks.
The officials confided in one of our correspondents that Air Peace had declined to deploy aircraft to evacuate the remaining stranded Nigerians until payment was confirmed.
The delay has heightened fears among the stranded Nigerians as xenophobic tensions continue to escalate across South Africa.
The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, said that over 20 Nigerians had died since the renewed wave of anti-foreigner attacks, while many others had been assaulted, displaced or forced to abandon their businesses.
Over 700 Nigerians stranded
According to the officials, over 1,000 Nigerians registered with the Federal Government for evacuation.
However, only 324 have been successfully brought home so far through a combination of government efforts and private intervention, leaving more than 700 Nigerians at risk of attacks and exposed to the elements.
The first batch of returnees (258) arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard Air Peace, while the second batch (66) arrived on June 24 aboard ValueJet.
Welcoming the second batch of evacuees, the Coordinator and Head of the Lagos Liaison Office of NiDCOM, Dipo Odebowale, who represented the Chairman of the commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended Tinubu for facilitating the operation.
He noted that the logistical challenges encountered after the first evacuation flight were being addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, who pledged that all Nigerians registered for evacuation would eventually be brought home.
Probing the logistical challenges, it was gathered that Air Peace, which was expected to evacuate the stranded Nigerians, had yet to receive payment two weeks after Tinubu approved the request.
It was further gathered that the airline had planned to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft to evacuate the registered Nigerians in four separate flights.
However, the operation was allegedly stalled because the payment issues had yet to be resolved.
A top official in the aviation industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to comment on the matter, said, “Air Peace was supposed to complete the rescue mission in four flights, but even before the mission started, we started hearing that about five airlines were bidding for the operation. Meanwhile, it had always been Air Peace doing this job before now.
“I have enough information that Air Peace has yet to embark on the second evacuation operation because of the payment issue.”
She further disclosed that the delay in payment to Air Peace was responsible for the intervention of ValueJet, which conveyed the second batch of stranded Nigerians to the country.
“The government gave ValueJet the job because discussions with Air Peace seemed to be dragging over payment, and operators are not ready to do free jobs now, considering the price of aviation fuel,” she stated.
However, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told Saturday PUNCH that Air Peace was scheduled to carry out the second batch of the evacuation on Monday but failed to deploy its aircraft because of the payment issue.
The official disclosed that some Nigerians who had already been directed to report at the airport in Johannesburg in anticipation of the Air Peace flight were later returned to the Nigeria High Commission.
The source lamented that the administrative bottleneck was frustrating the evacuation plan.
He said, “When we operated the first flight, it was paid for by Mr President. Then we submitted requests for four subsequent flights, which have also been approved by him. That was two weeks ago. But approval is different from when the money reaches Air Peace’s account.
“So, we are waiting for the administrative procedure that will ensure the money is paid into Air Peace’s account before we can authoritatively say when the next batch of the four flights will be.”
On the arrival of the 66 Nigerians, the official said, “The second flight was supposed to leave Johannesburg on Monday. We invited those who were supposed to be on the flight to come to the High Commission. From the High Commission, they were to be moved to the airport to board the flight to Nigeria.
“However, after inviting them, we later got information that the Monday flight would not come because of this administrative issue.
“Some of those who had already arrived and could not return to any reliable accommodation were sheltered at the High Commission. The High Commission was feeding and taking care of them pending when the flight would be ready. Because of the administrative issue last week, the mission decided to raise the alarm to see how well-meaning Nigerians could intervene to assist those already waiting with their luggage at the High Commission.
“The owner of ValueJet responded and paid for 66 tickets on South African Airways to bring them (the stranded Nigerians) to Lagos on Wednesday night.”
Asked how soon the administrative issue would be resolved, the official expressed optimism that the next evacuation flight might depart for South Africa on Monday.
“I am optimistic that between now and Monday, we will be able to state exactly when the next flight will commence.
“The issue is not about approving a request; it is about Air Peace confirming payment, then giving us a date to deploy its aircraft.”
Similarly, a NiDCOM official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that the logistical challenges, including the non-availability of aircraft, were responsible for the delay.
“The Federal Government is committed to evacuating the affected Nigerians in South Africa. About 1,000 of them registered for evacuation. But logistical issues, including the non-availability of aircraft, are delaying the subsequent evacuation process,” he said.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from Air Peace and ValueJet were unsuccessful.
Calls and text messages sent to Air Peace’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, and ValueJet’s Managing Director, Capt. Dapo Majekodunmi, were neither answered nor acknowledged as of the time of filing this report.
The renewed xenophobic attacks
Since late April, xenophobic tensions have resurfaced in South Africa, where foreign nationals, particularly Africans, have increasingly become targets of hostility over allegations that they are taking jobs and straining public services.
Political leaders and parties such as ActionSA, the Patriotic Alliance and uMkhonto we Sizwe have continued to portray foreign nationals as competitors for jobs and government services, fuelling anti-immigration sentiments across parts of the country.
The growing hostility has triggered violent attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians, with many reportedly assaulted, displaced or forced to abandon their businesses and other means of livelihood.
Social media has also been awash with videos showing protests and intimidating marches by anti-immigration groups demanding the removal of foreigners.
During several of the demonstrations, Nigerians and other African nationals reportedly came under attack.
Among the groups driving the campaign are March and March and Operation Dudula, two South African anti-immigration movements advocating stricter enforcement against undocumented migration.
They have repeatedly used messages and videos circulated online to call on foreign nationals to leave South Africa on or before June 30.
The renewed threats prompted the Federal Government to activate an emergency evacuation plan by deploying aircraft to bring willing Nigerians back home.
Xenophobic tensions claim over 20 Nigerian lives
Speaking on the death of over 20 Nigerians, Onyekwelu disclosed that they died between late 2025 and June 2026.
He explained that some of the victims were killed extrajudicially, while others died from shock following the vandalisation of their shops or the destruction of their businesses.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, Onyekwelu said, “The claim that Nigerians have not suffered as a result of these xenophobic attacks is not true. Between late last year and now, over 20 Nigerians have been reported dead.
“Some of them died due to extrajudicial actions. Others died from the stress that followed the vandalisation or looting of their businesses in places like KwaZulu-Natal.
“Some Nigerians were forced to lie on the streets and were flogged publicly. You could see the wounds on their bodies. In the Eastern Cape, some had their cars torched. In Johannesburg, some businesses were vandalised.
“This is not propaganda by the community or the media. We have names, pictures and evidence. These incidents happened in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, East London and Johannesburg. We have leaders in all these areas, who compile the reports and send them to us.”
Anxiety mounts over June 30 deadline
Meanwhile, many Nigerians who have chosen to remain in South Africa have expressed anxiety over the June 30 deadline issued by the anti-immigration groups.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Union South Africa, Akin Olunloyo, said the situation remained volatile, with many Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in fear amid rising cases of harassment, intimidation and attacks.
According to him, immigrants have been subjected to verbal abuse, threats, physical assaults, forced evictions and the destruction of property, while organised vigilante groups have increasingly targeted foreign communities.
“The situation remains very volatile and deeply troubling because people are scampering, and there is a lot of fear in town as we approach the June 30 deadline. The organised hostility manifests in various forms, including verbal harassment, threats and intimidation.
“While these protests target undocumented migrants, the violence and intimidation affect everyone perceived to be of African descent, whether they are in South Africa legally or not.
“The pervasive nature of the threat means that many Nigerians feel very unsafe and are choosing to leave rather than risk their personal safety,” he said.
Olunloyo explained that anti-immigration groups had maintained constant pressure through regular marches, demonstrations and coordinated campaigns on social media, creating what he described as a “thick climate of fear” affecting the daily lives of foreign nationals, regardless of their legal status.
He disclosed that the Federal Government would soon release the flight schedules for the evacuation of the remaining Nigerians at the deportation camp.
Olunloyo commended the Nigerian Government, the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Johannesburg for providing humanitarian support, including temporary shelter, food, bedding and toiletries for stranded Nigerians, particularly women and children, while continuing to issue safety advisories ahead of the planned anti-migrant protests.
Businesses crumble
Also, a Nigerian trader based in Johannesburg, Eniola Bayewunmi, said many Nigerians had been forced to remain indoors for the past month for fear of being attacked by anti-foreigner protesters or arrested by the police.
She lamented losing more than N15m after being unable to operate her business for about a month.
“We have been staying indoors for the past month. They have prevented us from going out to open our shops or conduct our businesses,” she said.
According to her, protesters, with the backing of security operatives, have been carrying out raids on foreigners’ residences, demanding documents and forcing those arrested to pay between 1,500 and 2,500 rands as bail.
She further alleged that South African police officers have been blocking neighbourhoods where foreigners live, preventing them from leaving their homes to open their shops, conduct business or carry out other daily activities.
“The police are backing the protesters and even encouraging them to carry out raids on the residences of foreigners. The protesters, with the support of the police, are going from house to house demanding documents from migrants,” she said.
Evacuation to resume any moment — FG
However, the Federal Government has promised that the evacuation programme will resume at any moment, urging Nigerians who have already been screened to remain on standby for their departure.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and made available to Saturday PUNCH by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the mission said the evacuation was temporarily suspended due to logistical and technical challenges.
The High Commission said the issues had been resolved and assured affected citizens that flight arrangements were being finalised.
“The ongoing voluntary repatriation of Nigerian nationals, which was temporarily suspended due to logistical and technical reasons, will resume any moment from now.
“The mission reassures all persons who have been screened to hold themselves in readiness to depart anytime their flight arrangements are finalised,” the statement read.
The mission explained that travellers would be contacted individually based on the flight schedule and cautioned screened Nigerians against coming to the High Commission unless officially invited.
“Everybody who has been screened should remain on alert, as the mission will directly notify those scheduled to travel to come to the High Commission based on the sequence of flights arranged for their respective dates and times.
“Please take note that unless you are called, do not come with your luggage or personal belongings, as we do not want anybody to be left stranded at the gate of the mission,” it warned.
The mission said it had formally appealed to the South African authorities to ensure adequate protection for Nigerian nationals.
“Moreover, the mission is obliged to inform all that a written appeal has been forwarded to the host authorities, seeking protection for our nationals in the country before, on and after June 30, 2026.
“While we await an immediate and positive response from the authorities, we urge our nationals to continue to be law-abiding, remain united and exercise caution in the face of extreme provocation,” it added. (Saturday PUNCH)
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has outlined what it described as compelling legal grounds why a recent ruling of the Federal High Court in Lokoja setting aside its earlier registration judgment cannot stand, insisting that the court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered a final decision.
The party made the position known in a statement amplified by the Good Governance Group (GGG), while assuring members and candidates that it had not been deregistered and had already instructed its lawyers to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
According to the NDC, it became a registered political party after the Federal High Court, in December 2025, upheld its constitutional right to freedom of association and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register it.
“The Federal High Court upheld our constitutional right to freedom of association under the Constitution and compelled INEC to register us, which INEC did,” the statement said.
The party said it had since commenced full political activities, including membership registration, congresses from the ward to national levels, conventions and primary elections in line with INEC’s timetable.
It added that it also fielded candidates in the recent bye-elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states and had already nominated candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential and vice-presidential elections.
“NDC also fielded candidates, and fully participated, in the just-concluded bye elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states,” the statement noted.
Explaining why it believes the latest court order is legally defective, the party said the application was filed by an unregistered association known as the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which it said was neither participating in the current registration exercise nor recognised as a political party.
“The association that filed the complaint is unknown to us. The Peace Movement Party (PMP) is not a registered political party in Nigeria,” the NDC stated.
It explained that the association merely claimed it had unsuccessfully sought registration in 2015 using the victory sign as its symbol and asked the court, through a motion rather than a substantive suit or appeal, to set aside its earlier judgment.
The party argued that the trial court had become *functus officio* after delivering its final judgment in the case and therefore lacked the jurisdiction to reopen the matter.
“Furthermore, the court, having delivered a final judgment in our suit against INEC, had become functus officio,” the statement said.
According to the NDC, the earlier judgment had already resolved issues relating to the use of its symbol and colours after overruling INEC’s objections, adding that no appeal had been filed against that decision.
“Therefore, we are surprised that, on an application by an association claiming that it wanted to register as a political party with the victory sign in 2015… His Lordship came to the conclusion that they have locus standi, and furthermore, that he has jurisdiction to do what he did,” the party said.
The NDC acknowledged that the court had set aside its December 2025 judgment but maintained that the ruling did not order its deregistration.
“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order,” the statement read.
Reassuring party faithful, the NDC said: “Our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We have no doubt that justice will be done.”
The party also condemned what it described as attempts to narrow Nigeria’s democratic space ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives,” the statement added, insisting that Nigerians deserve “a full range of opinions, ideas and alternatives” as the electoral process progresses.
Seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups have been arrested at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina after returning from the Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The Federal Government described the operation as one of the most significant successes recorded through Nigeria’s integrated digital identity system.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Friday shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Bill, 2026, into law. He said the arrests demonstrated the effectiveness of the administration’s ongoing reforms in identity management and border security.
According to the minister, the suspects were intercepted on arrival in Nigeria after being flagged by the country’s integrated identity verification system and were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).
Tunji-Ojo attributed the breakthrough to the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and international security platforms, including INTERPOL.
“We inherited a fragmented identity management system where government databases operated independently. Today, our immigration database is fully integrated with NIMC and linked to Interpol’s 24-hour security network.
“It was through this integrated platform that seven known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP returning from Mecca were identified at Katsina Airport last Thursday, arrested and handed over to the DSS,” the minister said.
President Tinubu assented to the NIMC Act, 2026, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Director-General of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and other senior government officials.
Tunji-Ojo described the legislation as a landmark reform that would accelerate the harmonisation of Nigeria’s identity databases, strengthen the integrity of the National Identity Number (NIN), improve inter-agency collaboration, and enhance the country’s capacity to tackle terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes and other transnational offences.
He added that the reforms had also enhanced the passport application process by ensuring that no Nigerian passport could be issued without identity verification through the NIMC database.
According to the minister, the integrated system has significantly improved border security and intelligence gathering by enabling security agencies to access a unified identity ecosystem capable of tracking high-risk individuals across multiple government platforms.
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