By Adeyemi Adegbola
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, clearly, has an axe to grind with NNPC Ltd. The former labour leader, who cut his teeth as a junior staffer in a textile mill, now sits in the Senate. From that perch, he has declared the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited “a bunch of criminals and thieves.” To watch the video clip from the 10 June 2026 session of the Senate Public Accounts Committee is to witness a man unmoored from logic and decency. For someone who lacks any recorded university degree and whose entire career trajectory was lifted by trade unionism, it is remarkable that he now stands before the nation to impugn the integrity of an institution staffed by the very professionals he once claimed to represent.
One can hypothesise that the senator suffers from an inferiority complex. But for the sake of decorum, let us simply state the facts: the Senate, as an institution, has formally dissociated itself from Oshiomhole’s outburst. On Thursday, 11 June 2026, the upper legislative chamber, through a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, condemned the remarks as “an unwarranted attack on the character of public officers”. The Senate declared that the remarks “do not represent the official position, resolution, finding or determination of the Senate as an institution”. High ranking legislators, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, cautioned the former Edo State governor against “making defamatory remarks that could undermine the integrity of public institutions”. Several colleagues demanded that Oshiomhole publicly withdraw his statement. In other words, even Oshiomhole’s colleagues could no longer stomach his garrulous, uncouth conduct. That speaks volumes, not about NNPC, but about whether the senator was high on something.
Let us backtrack. The committee had summoned Umar Ajiya, NNPC’s former Chief Financial Officer, a man of impeccable professional standing who retired meritoriously a little over a year ago. In his testimony, Ajiya did not mince words. He put to bed the ludicrous figure of N210 trillion that some senators have been bandying about. According to Ajiya, the total revenue earned by NNPC during the entire period in question (2017 to 2023) was N54.5 trillion. So how can N210 trillion be missing? The figure is mathematically impossible and is not supported by any cash flow records. As Ajiya explained, the alleged “missing” sum is nearly four times the entire revenue earned. He even revealed that the company spent N2.9 billion, not N5.8 billion, to complete its registration with the CAC and FIRS (two government agencies, no third parties). He then threw down a gauntlet: call the EFCC and the NFIU to conduct a forensic investigation, and arrest and jail anyone found guilty. That is not the language of a thief. It is the language of a patriot who has nothing to hide.
Many Nigerians, some garrulous lawmakers among them, prefer sound bites over substance. Rather than intelligently review audit queries, they play to the gallery. The Senate plenary made it abundantly clear that no committee possesses the independent authority to issue or execute an arrest warrant without the express approval of the Senate President. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele warned: “The power to issue a warrant affecting the liberty of a citizen is an extraordinary statutory power which must be exercised strictly in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.” He further stated: “The constitutional doctrine of fair hearing and the presumption of innocence require that no person or institution be adjudged guilty except by a court of competent jurisdiction after due process of law”. Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno described the motion as a necessary intervention to preserve the credibility of the legislature, noting that it would be “contradictory for lawmakers to make laws for national governance while simultaneously violating those same laws”. Senator Abba Moro emphasised: “We should not make statements that seek to impugn the character of public officers or individuals in society”.
But let us talk about glass houses. Those who live in them should not throw stones. Senator Oshiomhole, for all his theatrical outrage, has a public conduct record that would make any reasonable Nigerian cringe. In June 2025, he was embroiled in a public confrontation at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed Airport. The airline alleged that the senator jumped onto a baggage conveyor belt and obstructed other passengers. Several viral videos showed the senator engaging in a shouting match with airline and airport staff. The Punch newspaper reported that “despite whatever provocation was claimed, Oshiomhole‘s conduct is unbecoming of his status as a senior citizen and ranking politician”. This is the same man who, according to the Air Peace airline, attempted to force his way onto a flight after check in had closed and engaged in disruptive behaviour, including physically assaulting staff and barricading the terminal entrance, which obstructed other passengers and disrupted airport operations.
And then there is the matter of the viral foot massage video. In June 2026, Senator Oshiomhole dismissed a viral video appearing to show him massaging a woman’s feet aboard a private jet, describing the clip as AI manipulation. Whether the video is authentic or not, the fact that a sitting senator finds himself at the centre of such a scandal speaks to a pattern of behaviour that is anything but dignified.
On the financial front, the senator is hardly a paragon of virtue. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been called upon repeatedly to investigate corruption allegations against Oshiomhole. In 2018, a Federal High Court in Abuja refused to compel the EFCC to investigate allegations against him, with the anti graft agency admitting that it had received petitions accusing Oshiomhole of complicity in acts of corruption. The EFCC stated that it was not under any obligation to report or give account of its investigations to any individual or within a timeline. In 2019, the court again declined to compel the EFCC to investigate him, with the agency admitting it was in receipt of petitions but declining to act. More recently, in April 2026, the Federal High Court once again refused to compel the EFCC to investigate corruption allegations against him. In 2018, Vanguard newspaper reported that a petitioner had sent a detailed complaint to the EFCC outlining corrupt practices Oshiomhole was alleged to have been involved in. While the courts have not compelled action, the mere existence of multiple petitions and the EFCC‘s refusal to publicly exonerate him leaves a stain that cannot be ignored.
The senator has also shown a troubling lack of basic decency in his public utterances. He was widely condemned for mocking Governor Godwin Obaseki and his wife, Betsy, for being childless. Netizens blasted Oshiomhole for calling the Edo governor’s wife barren. This is a man who lectures NNPC staff on morality.
In his defence before the Senate plenary, Oshiomhole claimed that his comments were made under provocation. “I acted under provocation because distinguished members were being attacked without any proof of the allegations being made,” he said. “If it is the view of the Senate that I should apologise, I have no problem with that”. He insisted he was merely defending the integrity of the Senate and its members. But his colleagues were not convinced. Senator Adamu Aliero, former Kebbi State Governor, described the statement as “reckless” and argued that it could damage Nigeria’s investment image internationally, noting that “The NNPC is the cash cow of this country. Such reckless statements could damage Nigeria‘s investment image internationally”. That is the nub of the matter. Senator Aliero was absolutely right.
Beyond public umbrage, however, lies a far more urgent matter. Umar Ajiya himself warned that unverified allegations damage not just individuals but the entire nation. He said that unfounded claims do real damage. International rating agencies use public information to assess countries. When inaccurate figures circulate without verification, it can affect perceptions and even influence financing decisions. He recalled how an unpatriotic Nigerian once wrote a petition to the Chinese government, stalling a USD 2.5 billion loan for the AKK gas pipeline project. That project remains incomplete because of loose tongues.
NNPC Ltd. is now preparing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), with plans to list on leading international exchanges, including New York and London. As the company moves towards an IPO, foreign investors will scrutinise not only its books but also the media and political environment in which it operates. A word, they say, is enough for the wise. Senator Oshiomhole would do well to remember that every reckless sound bite echoes long after the cameras leave. His grandchildren will have to live with the consequences. So will ours. We will defend NNPC’s honour because their honour is tied to the prosperity of every Nigerian. The senator from Edo North may have forgotten that NNPC is the cash cow of this country. Those who wish to slaughter the cow should not be surprised when there is no milk left for their own children.
Dr. Adeyemi Adegbola is an international energy correspondent. He writes from Abuja.
