‘I was joking’ – Atiku on claims he’d sell NNPC to friends

Aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed claims that his principal intended to sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to friends, saying the comment was a “joke taken too far.”

Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesperson, made the clarification on Sunday during an interview on Trust TV, while discussing opposition politics and the readiness of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Let me correct you please. That interview was a banter between His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and the reporter. He made that joke, and that was mischief taken too far about selling it to his friends,” Ibe said.

He added that the main point of the interview was that moribund government assets in the oil sector should be disposed of, not that Atiku plans to enrich friends.

“This administration has initiated a process to sell some of these assets. None of the refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, all over the place, are working, yet people are being paid salaries for doing nothing. Why must we hold on to those assets?” Ibe questioned.

He insisted that privatisation remains the sustainable option, arguing that government should focus on creating an enabling environment for business rather than running commercial enterprises.

The clarification comes after Atiku’s comments during the 2019 presidential campaign, when he reportedly said he would privatise NNPC “even if they are going to kill me” and added that he would enrich friends rather than family members.

Public criticism followed, prompting Atiku to later clarify that any sale of NNPC would be for the benefit of Nigerians and not for personal enrichment.

Ibe reiterated this point on Sunday, saying, “The takeaway should not be the joke, but that all non-performing assets should be sold for the development of the country.”