NNPC Reacts To Sponsoring Buhari’s Second Term Bid

Ahead of the 2019 general election, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, on Friday debunked the report that it was transferring cash to President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation.

During the week, there were reports that NNPC was funding Buhari’s re-election bid.

The Director of Strategic Communications of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo, while reacting to the claim debunked the reports stating that he never collected any money from NNPC.

NNPC, while reacting to the report, said that its Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, at no time transferred any money to the organisation with the sole aim of supporting Buhari’s re-election bid.

In a statement that was released and signed by the Group’s General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, the Corporation described the allegation as “political induced hallucination which has found accommodation in the subconscious of some mischievous political actors intent on dragging the corporation and its GMD into the arena of partisan political tussle.”

The corporation said the allegation was not only, “patently false but runs against the prevailing gale of transparency and accountability pervading the operations of the NNPC since the advent of the current administration.

“With no regard for the cherished investigative reporting ethos of balance and confirmation of the story, the allegation, without doubt, come across as a kindergarten execution of an ill thought political brinksmanship,’’ the corporation said.

NNPC called on “all well-meaning members of the public and oil and gas industry stakeholders to disregard the phantom report noting that the Management of the NNPC under Dr. Baru is focused on delivering the aspiration of Mr. President for the petroleum industry.“