Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 elections, has expressed his disagreement with the decision of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to hand over the Port Harcourt refinery to a private firm for operation and maintenance.
He believes that the NNPCL should have sold the refinery before its rehabilitation in order to avoid the burden of debt.
Atiku has consistently advocated for reforms in Nigeria’s oil sector and has called for the involvement of both foreign and domestic investors in funding and management.
Despite his suggestions, he feels that his concerns have been ignored by the current administration. Atiku urges the NNPCL to provide a satisfactory explanation to Nigerians regarding the benefits of their new approach to privatization.