Atiku to AGF: No amount of rhetoric can erase OPL 245 dispute
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for faulting his recent commentary on the Federal Government’s
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for faulting his recent commentary on the Federal Government’s handling of the OPL 245 dispute.
On March 5, the Presidency announced the conclusion of a settlement agreement involving the Federal Government, Eni, and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAEL).
The AGF described the development as a milestone in repositioning Nigeria’s economic landscape.
But Abubakar, in a statement on Sunday, dismissed the claimed resolution as “nothing more than political theatrics”.
The former VP insisted that the matter was “far from resolved” and that it remained subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
He also alleged that key stakeholders were excluded from the process, warning that “a government that sidelines critical stakeholders, disregards pending judicial processes, and proceeds to celebrate a disputed agreement demonstrates not strength, but recklessness”.
Responding on Wednesday, Fagbemi described Abubakar’s position as misrepresenting what he called a “landmark achievement” in resolving a dispute that has lingered for nearly three decades.
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The AGF further claimed that opposition to the deal was “both revealing and deeply concerning,” adding that persistent criticisms “strongly suggest they are driven not by patriotism or objective reasoning, but by undisclosed and self-serving interests”.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his media aide, Paul Ibe, the former Vice President fired back at the AGF, asserting that no amount of rhetoric can settle the disputed oil contracts.
Abubakar described Fagbemi’s remarks as “misleading and an attempt to divert attention from the substantive legal and factual issues surrounding the so-called ‘resolution’ of the OPL 245 dispute”.
The former Vice President insisted that his stance was “firmly grounded” in publicly available documents, including the pre-action notice issued by Malabu Oil and Gas Limited to relevant authorities, which raises serious legal objections to the purported settlement.
“These documents clearly show that key stakeholders have disputed the legitimacy of the claimed resolution, stating unequivocally that they were neither consulted nor involved in any negotiation process, and that multiple suits on the asset remain pending before competent courts,” the statement said.
“It is not only disingenuous but deeply troubling for the Attorney-General to dismiss legitimate concerns—rooted in documented legal processes—as ‘self-interest,” Atiku said.
