Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the immediate suspension of the NNPC Ltd over its newly announced refinery partnership with two Chinese firms, describing the arrangement as risky, opaque and lacking technical credibility.

The controversy follows the decision by the national oil company to partner with Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xingcheng (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd. in a fresh move to revive Nigeria’s struggling refineries.

Reacting in a statement issued on Friday through his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of gambling with Nigeria’s economic future through what he described as another questionable refinery rehabilitation arrangement.

According to the former vice president, Nigerians have already witnessed years of failed refinery rehabilitation projects despite billions of dollars reportedly spent on turnaround maintenance.

“It is both shocking and insulting that after wasting over $2.5 billion on endless refinery rehabilitation scandals, the NNPC is once again asking Nigerians to trust another experiment built on secrecy and questionable competence,” Atiku stated.

The former PDP presidential candidate questioned the technical expertise of the Chinese companies involved in the agreement, arguing that neither firm has a proven global track record in managing or operating large-scale crude oil refineries like the Port Harcourt and Warri facilities.

Atiku explained that although Sanjiang Chemical is recognised within the petrochemical industry, its operations are largely focused on downstream fine chemicals, methanol processing and light hydrocarbon production rather than full-scale refinery management.

“There is no publicly available evidence showing that Sanjiang has ever built, operated or managed a crude oil refinery of the magnitude and complexity of Port Harcourt or Warri refineries,” he said.

He also raised concerns over Xingcheng (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd., claiming the company appears to have little or no verifiable experience in petroleum refining or hydrocarbon processing.

According to him, handing over critical refinery projects to firms without clear refinery expertise is comparable to “handing over a hospital’s intensive care unit to a real estate developer simply because they can construct buildings.”

Atiku questioned why the Federal Government and NNPC allegedly ignored globally recognised refinery engineering and EPC firms with established reputations in favour of companies whose technical capabilities remain unclear.

The former vice president warned that Nigeria risks repeating another cycle of failed refinery rehabilitation projects, reckless spending and non-transparent transactions if proper scrutiny is not applied.

He further demanded the immediate publication of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the firms, alongside a transparent technical due diligence report detailing the competence of both companies.

Atiku also called for the disclosure of Nigeria’s financial obligations under the agreement, a competitive engagement process involving globally reputable refinery operators and a full legislative probe into previous refinery rehabilitation spending.

“The era where NNPC signs opaque agreements abroad and expects Nigerians to clap blindly is over,” he stated.

“National assets are not toys for bureaucratic experimentation. The Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are too strategic to be surrendered to uncertainty, obscurity and corporate guesswork.”