Abuja, March 22, 2026 — The ongoing controversy surrounding OPL 245 has taken a new turn, as a pre-action notice issued by Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, through Chief R. O. Atabo, SAN, LL.D, challenges the Federal Government’s claims of a “final resolution.” The development casts doubt on recent announcements by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, and raises fresh concerns over transparency and governance in Nigeria’s oil sector.
The notice underscores that Malabu, a principal stakeholder with longstanding legal and equitable interests in OPL 245, was neither consulted nor involved in the purported settlement process at the Presidential Villa, questioning the legality and integrity of the so-called “Resolution Agreement.”
According to the Atiku Media Office, the case remains subject to multiple ongoing legal proceedings, including matters before the Supreme Court and the Federal High Court. “A government that sidelines critical stakeholders and disregards pending judicial processes demonstrates not strength, but recklessness,” the office stated.
The development is viewed as part of a broader pattern within the Tinubu administration, characterized by a preference for political theatrics over substantive governance. Nigerians have, according to the statement, endured three years of “grand claims of economic recovery and institutional reform” amid worsening insecurity, deepening economic hardship, and declining public trust.
Particularly alarming, the statement notes, are reports of a planned sale of up to 30 percent of Nigeria’s Joint Venture assets under NNPC Limited, alongside the relocation of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services back to Lagos at an alleged cost exceeding ₦9 billion annually. Questions have also arisen regarding potential links between the property in question and interests associated with the President’s family, highlighting concerns about ethics and transparency in public service.
The OPL 245 saga, according to the Atiku Media Office, is emblematic of a governance crisis in Nigeria — one where due process is optional, legal disputes are repackaged as political victories, and national assets are handled with opacity.
“This is not reform. This is misgovernance dressed in the language of reform,” the statement declared, emphasizing that Nigerians deserve accountability, transparency, and a government that prioritizes economic discipline, security, and the rule of law over political optics.
The unfolding dispute serves as a reminder that no amount of propaganda can substitute for due process, and no government can indefinitely obscure legal and ethical obligations.
Signed:
Atiku Media Office, Abuja
