The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s plan to sell Nigeria’s oil assets.
Speaking at a press conference, the party’s national publicity secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the move is a dangerous attack on the country’s energy sector and must be stopped.
He reminded Nigerians that on September 22, the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) wrote to President Tinubu rejecting the planned sale of NNPC Limited’s shares in its most profitable oil ventures.
Abdullahi said the ADC agrees with the unions, warning that the sale will weaken Nigeria’s control over its oil resources and transfer them into the hands of a few wealthy, politically-connected individuals.
According to him, the proposed changes to the Petroleum Industry Act are part of a deliberate plan to strip NNPC Limited of its best assets, remove proper oversight, and sell off national wealth cheaply.
He stressed that selling the oil assets would:
Reduce Nigeria’s ability to control fuel supply and respond to global oil price changes.
Deprive the government of vital revenue used to fund schools, hospitals, and infrastructure.
Leave NNPC Limited in debt and risk the loss of thousands of jobs.
Set a dangerous precedent of turning public property into private wealth.
“This is not just a policy issue,” Abdullahi said. “It is a battle for the future of Nigeria’s economy and for generations yet to come.”
The ADC urged civil society, labour unions, and young Nigerians to resist the move and demand accountability. The party also called on the National Assembly to reject any amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act that favour private interests over public good.
“At 65 years of independence, Nigeria must put the people first, not politics or profit,” Abdullahi added. “History must remember us as a people who stood up and said no to the selling of our national wealth.”