The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
It also confirmed Saidu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The confirmations followed the consideration of a report by a joint committee of the Senate, chaired by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu.
The development comes after the resignation of the former NMDPRA chief executive, Farouk Ahmed, amid corruption allegations levelled against him by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this in a statement, also said Gbenga Komolafe had stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC.
Following the vacancies, President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Senate, requesting the expedited confirmation of Eyesan and Mohammed as heads of the two regulatory agencies.
The Presidency described both nominees as “seasoned professionals” with extensive experience in the oil and gas industry.
Dangote’s allegations, Ahmed’s response
The House of Representatives had earlier summoned Dangote and Ahmed, urging both parties to refrain from making further public statements on the matter.
Dangote had petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of corruption and financial impropriety.
In the petition, submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, the businessman asked the anti-graft agency to arrest, investigate, and prosecute the former NMDPRA chief.
He alleged that Ahmed lived beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children attended secondary schools in Switzerland at a cost running into several millions of dollars.
According to the petition, about $5 million was allegedly spent on their secondary education and upkeep over six years, in addition to $2 million on tertiary education, including a reported $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of the children.
Dangote listed the names of the children and the schools they attend, urging the ICPC to prosecute Ahmed in line with applicable laws.
“We have no reservation that, being a matter in the public domain, the Commission will not close its eyes to it but will act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected,” the petition stated.
The ICPC confirmed receipt of the petition and said it would be “duly investigated.”
Separately, Dangote accused the NMDPRA leadership under Ahmed of economic sabotage, alleging that certain regulatory decisions were undermining local refining capacity.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, he claimed that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products was frustrating domestic refiners and entrenching dependence on imports.
He also alleged collusion between the regulator and international oil traders to the detriment of local operators.
Ahmed, however, dismissed the accusations as “wild and spurious.”
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, as a regulator of a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbats,” he said.
