Tinubu has the final say — NNPC speaks on reports of Mele Kyari’s exit

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds the authority to decide on the alleged retirement of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, in January 2025.

Speculations suggest that Kyari, who turns 60 on January 8, 2025, might retire and be succeeded by Bayo Ojulari. However, NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye dismissed these claims as false.

Soneye stated that while Kyari has a defined tenure at NNPC, the decision to retain or replace him ultimately rests with President Tinubu.

“I don’t know anything about that; all those things are rumors and false. The man (Mele Kyari) has his time and tenure; the president has the final say. As the Minister of Petroleum, anything he wants to do, he will do. For us, it is to continue with our work and do it right.” Soneye said on Monday, December 30.

“This is a global energy company. Movement in the company is based on expertise, skills, and ability to deliver, not on the basis that you are from X, Y, or Z; you are Muslim or Christian. Gone are the days we did that; if we do that, we cannot have foreigners working for us. We have Dutch, American, and British managing directors of our businesses. If we are doing only Muslim, Christian, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, we won’t have them. Where we have Nigerians that can deliver, they are there. We, the company, look for professionals that can deliver,”