A fresh dispute may have emerged over the reported resolution of the long-running OPL 245 oil block case, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar rejecting claims by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, that criticisms of the deal are driven by self-interest.
The former vice president faulted remarks credited to Fagbemi, who had reportedly dismissed opposition voices on the matter as lacking patriotism.
Atiku maintained that concerns raised about the OPL 245 settlement were rooted in “verifiable records” and ongoing legal processes, not political motivations.
He described the AGF’s assertion as misleading and an attempt to divert attention from substantive legal and factual issues surrounding what he termed the “so-called resolution” of the dispute.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our position is firmly grounded in publicly available documents, including but not limited to the pre-action notice issued by Malabu Oil and Gas Limited to the relevant authorities, which raises serious legal objections to the purported settlement.
“These documents clearly indicate 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.
“It is therefore not only disingenuous but deeply troubling for the Attorney-General to dismiss legitimate concerns—rooted in documented legal processes—as ‘self-interest’.
“In any constitutional democracy, raising questions based on verifiable records is not opposition—it is responsibility, which the ruling APC has clearly departed from,” a statement on Thursday by the Atiku Media Office partly read.
