The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Afam Osigwe, says the rift between Aliko Dangote and the recently resigned Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, was becoming embarrassing for public officers and the government.

Osigwe made this statement on Wednesday during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television monitored by DAILY POST.

DAILY POST reports that Ahmed tendered his resignation on Wednesday evening, barely 24 hours after allegations of corruption were leveled against him by Dangote.

“I don’t know the facts, and I just saw the breaking news on your screen. It would be unfair for me to take sides with any of the parties, but sometimes the perception of corruption may be weightier than the actual proof of corruption.

“And it would be unfair to condemn him, but I can say that the matter is becoming publicly embarrassing for public officers and for the government, and I think the government is being decisive in accepting their resignation.

“I mean the breaking news has always said that they resigned. So I would like to say that, look, you’re heating up the system. Your continuous actions are making things difficult and attracting negative attention.

“I’m not privy to the meeting, but I also think you know so. And then with the ICPC indicating that they would investigate the allegation, I think the President was being decisive. Whether they were encouraged to resign or willingly resigned remains to be seen.

“But let it also not be that these allegations were used to get rid of a person and then nothing more happens. Let there be a proper investigation so that the man either clears his name or it is proven that he was actually corrupt or guilty of the allegation,” he said.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm new chief executives for two of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulators following the resignation of their current heads, a development that comes amid a deepening controversy in the downstream sector.

The request, conveyed in separate letters to the Senate on Wednesday, seeks approval for fresh leadership at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Engr. Farouk Ahmed has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, while Gbenga Komolafe resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, December 17.

In the statement, the Presidency said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.”

The statement added: “The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC.”

Announcing the proposed replacements, the statement said: “To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.”

The Presidency described the nominees as “seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.”

On Eyesan, the release noted: “Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiaries.” It added that “she retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, from 2023 to 2024, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at the NNPC between 2019 and 2023.”

Providing details on Mohammed, the statement said: “Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.” It further disclosed that “he was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

“His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.”

The statement added: “He also served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.”

The statement highlighted that “Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos, Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train.”

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Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the raids on his homes and offices by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He said the anti-graft agency, which has detained him since 8 December over investigations into corruption allegations against him, carried out the raids on his premises in Abuja and Kebbi in Kebbi State, his home state, on Wednesday.

EFCC confirmed the raids to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday but called the actions a search necessary for its ongoing investigation of the former minister.

Mr Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), disclosed the raids in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, which was shared on the former minister’s Facebook page.

The statement suggested that the raids were triggered by an earlier press release on Wednesday. The said earlier statement referenced the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry’s report, which Mr Malami claimed indicted the EFCC chair, Ola Olukoyede, for his activities as the secretary to the EFCC from 2018 to 2020.

Mr Malami specifically alluded to Chapter 9 of the report which he said focused on Mr Olukoyede.

The later statement on Wednesday said, following the disclosure in the earlier press release, EFCC operatives “carried out coordinated raids on our offices and on the private residences of Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Abuja and Kebbi State.”

“These actions (were carried out without prior notice and were expressly directed at searching for documents allegedly connected to Chapter 9 of the Salami Report,” the statement added.

The former AGF did not provide proof that the raids were triggered by his earlier statement referencing the Justice Ayo Salami report.

The panel of inquiry led by Mr Salami, a former President of the Court of Appeal, submitted its report to the then-President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2020.

But both Mr Buhari and Mr Malami, who as the AGF facilitated the establishment of the panel to probe the activities of the EFCC under the leadership of the then-acting chairperson of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, failed to make the report of the panel public.

They also failed to act on the recommendations of the panel before their administration wound up two and a half years later, in May 2023.

Meanwhile, preparatory to the hearing of the panel, Mr Buhari had suspended Mr Magu and Mr Olukoyede alongside some other top officials of the EFCC from office  in July 2020. The panel controversially went on to conduct its hearing in camera. The EFCC officials were never recalled by the Buhari administration while the public was kept in the dark regarding the outcome of the panel’s inquiry.

Malami blames Olukoyede

Citing his role in the establishment of the Salami panel, Mr Malami, on Monday, called on Mr Olukoyede to step aside from his probe by the EFCC. He claimed his probe, arrest and detention by the EFCC were “driven by deep-seated historical animosity and a malicious personal vendetta orchestrated by the EFCC Chairman”.

Earlier on Wednesday, he issued another statement referencing Chapter 9 of the Salami panel’s report and intensifying his call for Mr Olukoyede to recuse himself from his probe.

“Viewed against this background, the present actions of the EFCC cannot reasonably be interpreted as neutral law enforcement. They amount to retaliatory persecution driven by historical animosity and personal vendetta,” the statement by his media aide read.

In a later statement on Wednesday announcing the raids on his premises in Abuja and Kebbi, Mr Malami described the actions as “deeply alarming”.

He said the raids were acts of intimidation and retaliation following his public call for the EFCC chairman to recuse himself from matters relating to investigations involving him.

“These raids raise grave concerns about intimidation, retaliation and the safety of our staff and of Abubakar Malami, SAN,” the statement said.

The statement warned that it would hold the authorities responsible should any harm come to him or members of his staff, describing the situation as a threat to the rule of law and constitutional governance.

He also urged Nigerians and the media to question the timing and legality of the searches, asking why the raids occurred immediately after public reference to Chapter 9 of the Salami report and what legal authority justified searches focused on that section of the report.

Mr Malami further called on civil society organisations, professional bodies and human rights groups to pressure the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to release the Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry report, particularly Chapter 9, in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Despite the allegations, the former attorney general said he remained willing to submit himself to a lawful and impartial judicial process.

“Intimidation, raids and media trials cannot substitute for due process,” the statement added.

EFCC confirms raid

The EFCC, however, said the operation was part of its ongoing investigation and not a raid.

“It is in furtherance of our ongoing investigation. It was not a raid; it was a search. When a suspect is being investigated, we normally conduct searches in line with our investigation,” the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said during a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

The raid allegation comes amid an ongoing dispute between Mr Malami and the leadership of the anti-graft agency over the handling of investigations involving the former minister.

Olukoyede, EFCC deny wrongdoing

Mr Olukoyede has previously denied allegations levelled against him by the Salami panel.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos in July during a meeting with media representatives, the EFCC chairman said he was unjustly suspended as the commission’s secretary over what he described as false corruption allegations.

He said he was later vindicated and reinstated after a review by the administration of President Bola Tinubu found no wrongdoing on his part.

“I did not steal anything,” Mr Olukoyede said.

The EFCC has also denied allegations of bias and unlawful conduct raised by Mr Malami in the wake of his probe by the commission.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the commission’s spokesperson, Mr Oyewale, dismissed claims that Mr Malami’s bail was revoked because he attended a political gathering in Kebbi State, describing the allegation as “patently false.”

Mr Oyewale said Mr Malami was granted administrative bail on 28 November after interrogation, pending the conclusion of investigations and possible arraignment.

“Administrative bail is a discretionary temporary reprieve that allows a suspect to be released on stated conditions pending the conclusion of investigation and arraignment in court,” he said.

According to the EFCC, the former minister failed to meet the conditions attached to the bail and did not return on the agreed date of 1 December.

The commission said it later granted his request for a deferment on health grounds but that he neither submitted a medical report nor provided credible evidence to support the claim.

Mr Oyewale said Mr Malami was re-invited on 8 December for further questioning and detained after failing to meet the outstanding bail requirements, adding that it was wrong to suggest that the EFCC restricted him from granting media interviews or participating in political activities.

Background

Mr Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State.

The EFCC is investigating Mr Malami over allegations including the alleged fraudulent duplication of expenses related to the recovery of assets linked to the late former military ruler, Sani Abacha.

Reports have also indicated that the commission is probing several bank accounts allegedly linked to the former minister, as well as his multi-billion-naira investments in Kebbi State.

Following his detention, Mr Malami’s lawyers challenged his continued custody, describing it as unlawful and a violation of his fundamental rights, a development that has drawn political reactions from opposition figures accusing the EFCC of politicising its actions.

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December 17, 2025December 17, 2025

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The Concerned Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has disowned and sharply criticised recent statements credited to the Northern Elders Forum over the activities of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), describing the position as a misrepresentation of the true aspirations of the North.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Dr Nasir Manguno, the group said it was compelled to address Nigerians in the interest of truth, responsibility and historical accountability, warning that silence in the face of what it described as calculated distortion would amount to complicity.

The elders stated that the so-called position of the NEF against the FIRS, its Executive Chairman and the economic reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu neither reflects the collective conscience of Northern elders nor aligns with the progressive expectations of the region.

According to the group, the NEF has lost its moral authority and has gradually transformed from a forum of wisdom into what it described as a platform for political grievances and sponsored opposition narratives. The elders insisted that leadership and elder statesmanship must be rooted in integrity, foresight and national interest, not nostalgia for failed systems or entitlement to privilege.

The statement praised the performance of the current Executive Chairman of the FIRS, noting that under his leadership, the agency has recorded consistent over-performance of revenue targets, strengthened non-oil revenue mobilisation and deployed technology and data-driven strategies to block historic leakages. It added that the renewed emphasis on fairness and accountability has ensured that influence no longer guarantees exemption from taxation.

The Concerned Northern Elders stressed that these achievements are verifiable and represent what Nigeria can accomplish when competence replaces complacency, arguing that opposition to such reforms is driven by those unsettled by efficiency and transparency.

On the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu, the group said the administration inherited an economy weakened by subsidy dependency, secrecy and selective compliance. It commended the President for choosing courage over convenience by pursuing reforms it described as difficult but necessary for national recovery.

The elders maintained that revenue reform is not punitive but central to nation-building, insisting that no country develops by shielding elites from responsibility or placing the burden of governance solely on the poor.

The group also expressed full support for the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by the FIRS leadership to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, harmonise data systems and eliminate duplication. It argued that any policy framework that promotes transparency, strengthens institutions and enhances revenue efficiency is in the best interest of the North and Nigeria at large.

Addressing what it termed the politics of sabotage, the elders said the renewed criticism of FIRS coincided with political recalibration by opposition interests seeking to weaponise the North against reform. They warned that the region would not allow itself to be used for partisan objectives.

The statement emphasised that the true priorities of the North include job creation, infrastructure development, education and accountability, rather than recycled rhetoric and inherited excuses. According to the elders, these aspirations require strong institutions, fair taxation and fearless leadership.

The group concluded by reaffirming its support for the Executive Chairman of the FIRS, President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda and public servants committed to national interest over elite comfort, stressing that history favours reformers and not obstructionists.

“The North is not against reform. The North is against failure, and it will not be dragged backward by voices sponsored to fear progress,” the statement said.

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• A man shared what he noticed about Shiloh 2025, which made it different from previous years of the annual Winners chapel programme
• He wondered if his observation was linked with the exit of Bishop Abioye from the church who retired from the ministry last year
• The man’s post went viral and sparked mixed reactions.

A Nigerian has shared his observation about Shiloh 2025 and wondered if Bishop David Abioye’s exit affected the program.

Shiloh is an annual programme hosted by the church at its headquarters called Canaanland in Ota, Ogun State, with Bishop David Oyedepo as the general overseer.

Man Shares What He Noticed About Shiloh 2025, Wonders if Abioye’s Exit Affected Event, Post Trends
Source: Facebook

Shiloh 2025: Man speaks about Abioye’s absence

This year’s Shiloh was the second after the retirement of Bishop David Abioye as the vice president of the Winners Chapel, after serving with Oyedepo for 44 years.

Known on Facebook as Uncle Oles, a man highlighted the observations he noticed about Shiloh 2025.

Read also

“Seeing Bishop Aremu at Shiloh 2025 brought different vibe”: Man shares how preacher was welcomed

According to him, this year’s Shiloh witnessed a decline in media trends.

His Facebook post read:

“I think this year’s SHILOH witnessed a decline in media trends. Or am I the only one who has noticed it?“Compared to previous years, this year’s SHILOH has had fewer trends, and even their road shows were less crowded than in the past.“Are Winners’ members losing interest in the program, or has the exit of Bishop David Abioye from Winners’ Chapel affected the usual planning, execution, and publicity of the event?“Or has the new policy, which prevents other top pastors who left the church to start their own ministries from attending the program, also contributed to the decline in its usual trends?”

Reactions trail man’s observation about Abioye

Najim Samuel

Lol, how can they know when they are not a member, if you’re worries to know attend next week meeting, u will knw not all from social media noise. Alot is going on and millions are getting bless

Read also

Odion Ighalo picks next Super Eagles captain after Ekong’s retirement

Synod Jokpa Ozore

E reach to ask oooo…. Meanwhile, I received a flyer for Shiloh, and the venue is not the ARK. This seems inconsistent with what the man of God had been saying. Or is the info on the flyer incorrect?

Dave Dave

Go to Shiloh and see for yourself na

Oloruntoba Morakinyo

Mind your business

Akalugwu G Ikedichukwu

People are running away from the scam they call Christianity.

Greta Lorr

Shut up your mouth you fool

Mhiz Mercy

u lie ooo,U for go check urself

In related stories, a man mentioned the role Abioye played at Shiloh while another shared what the bishop’s absence signified.

Man analyses Abioye’s absence at Shiloh

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a man analysed Bishop David Abioye’s absence at Shiloh 2025, which was held at the Winners Chapel headquarters in Ota, Ogun state.

He also shared his observations about Bishop Thomas Aremu’s presence, despite retiring alongside Abioye in October 2024.

Read also

Man analyses Bishop Abioye’s absence at Shiloh 2025 amid Bishop Aremu’s presence, post trends

The man’s post sparked fresh debate about the viral discussion concerning the absence of Bishop Abioye at the Shiloh.

Source: Legit.ng

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The Edo State Government has said it is using “deodorant” and governmental performance to sanitise the pollution created by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP-led government over the last eight years in the state.

DAILY POST reports that Prince Kassim Afegbua, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, stated this while responding to a press statement by the main opposition party, the PDP, in Benin City on Wednesday.

The PDP press statement was titled, “Edo State under Okpebholo: A year of drift, democratic rupture, and systematic destruction of institutional legacy.”

The party accused the Governor Okpebholo-led APC government of squandering state and local government funds from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), as well as poor governance in the past one year in office, despite huge financial resources running into tens of billions of naira that had accrued to the state.

Responding, Kassim Afegbua opined that the state government had moved ahead and left the crossroads of PDP emanations.

He noted that responding to the PDP was a huge mental waste of time, as the government was busy trying to clean up the opposition party’s mess and halitosis littered across the state by using deodorant and governmental performance to sanitise their pollution.

“Like I said before, this category of PDP vuvuzelas are simply crying because the state feeding bottle has been removed from their well-salivated mouths, and they are now coming to the reality that Edo State is beyond their grip.

“We are too busy cleaning up their mess to have the time to make such ripostes. Reasonable Edo people appreciate our efforts thus far, but the PDP’s gang of sinuous fawns will always behave true to type,” he said.

Speaking on allegations that the state government is compiling alleged offences of former Governor Godwin Obaseki for anti-graft agencies, the commissioner opined that the guilty will always be on the run, becoming fugitives in their own country.

He stated that if the former governor did not have a skeleton in his cupboard, he would gladly return home, alleging that due to his involvement in several financial malfeasances, he continues to look for excuses to remain overseas.

“His legacy of rot and decay in Edo State will forever haunt him. His legacy of corruption and profligacy will always torment him. If he does not want to come home to face queries, we will petition the relevant security agencies to compel him to return.

“There is no hiding place for anybody in the global arena. The world has become a global village. If he thinks that the little island he lives on in the UK will hide him from our grip, he would be joking.

“We are neither forcing nor intimidating him to come home; we are only asking him to come and account for his eight years in office when he presided over Edo State’s collective patrimony. It is not too much to ask,” he added.

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Senator Ireti Kingibe representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has officialy joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The registration of the senator will take place on Thursday at the ADC national headquarters in Wuse, Abuja.

A statement issued by her media aide, Kennedy Mbele, on Wednesday, confirmed the development.

Mbele said the move formally confirmed Kingibe’s exit from the Labour Party (LP), adding that the registration ushered the lawmaker into the ADC.

According to the statement, senior officials of the party, candidates for the February 21 FCT area council elections, party supporters and members of the press will attend the event.

“Kingibe’s bold step of joining ADC makes her the only serving senator in the new but vibrant opposition party, ADC,” Mbele said.

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A Delta State High Court sitting in Orerokpe has granted an interim injunction restraining the Nigeria Police Force from enforcing the tinted glass permit policy scheduled to commence on January 2, 2026.

The order was made on Wednesday by Justice Joe Egwu, in a suit filed by Israel Joe against the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State command.

The suit is marked HOR/FHR/M/31/2025.

Joe asked the court to restrain the police from implementing or further implementing the tinted glass permit policy pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application.

He also sought an order restraining the police from stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining, extorting or otherwise interfering with his constitutional rights and those of other citizens and motorists under the guise of enforcing the policy.

In the enrolment of order arising from the motion ex parte, the court granted all the applicant’s prayers.

The court restrained the respondents from “implementing, enforcing or further implementing” the tinted glass permit policy pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Egwu also restrained the police from stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining, extorting or otherwise interfering with the constitutional rights of the applicant and other citizens.

The rights cited include dignity of the human person, privacy, freedom of movement and ownership of property.

The court further restrained the respondents from continuing to use the Parkway Projects account, described as a private account, to conduct any government business pending the determination of the suit.

Justice Egwu granted an order for substituted service on the first and second respondents through the commissioner of police, Delta State command, at the police headquarters in Asaba.

Although the applicant was absent when the matter was called, he was represented by a legal team led by Kunle Edun (SAN).

After hearing the application, the court granted the motion ex parte dated December 17, 2025, as prayed.

The hearing of the motion on notice was fixed for December 24, 2025.

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The chief executives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engineers Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe, have resigned.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Following the development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the regulators—Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.

What Bayo Onanuga Is Saying 

According to Onanuga, the replacements followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC.

“To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA. 

“The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry,” the statement partly reads.

Onanuga noted that the resignees were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Brief Profiles of the New Appointees 

According to Onanuga, Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the NNPC and its subsidiaries.

She retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream (2023–2024), and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC from 2019 to 2023.

Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. He was also announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.

He also served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Master Plan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Engineer Mohammed also played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train 7.

What You Should Know  

The development comes few days after Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, accused Farouk Ahmed of alleged corruption tied to his children’s overseas education.

An Anti-graft agency is in receipt of the allegations and promised to probe more.

On the part of the NMDPRA, it denied responding to the Dangote allegations.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated new chief executives for Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory agencies following the resignation of their current heads, Engineers Farouk Ahmed and Gbenga Komolafe.
Ahmed, who headed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), stepped down from their positions after serving since 2021. Both officials were appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the two regulators established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Farouk Ahmed has been in the eye of the storm lately folllowing petition by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to the ICPC alleging that the NMDPRA boss paid $5 million for his children’s school fees in Switzerland, an amount far above his legitimate income as a public servant.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said President Tinubu had written to the Senate, seeking expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.
Eyesan is an experienced oil and gas professional with nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. A graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, she retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, from 2019 to 2023.
Engineer Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He was announced on Tuesday as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
His career includes stints as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, as well as chairmanship roles at the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail.
He also served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he played a key role in shaping gas policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.
Mohammed was instrumental in the delivery of major energy infrastructure projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, as well as Nigeria LNG Train projects.
The Senate is expected to consider the nominations in the coming days.

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