The Senate has approved the appointment of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The upper chamber also confirmed Saidu Mohammed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The approvals followed the consideration of a report by a joint committee chaired by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu.
The confirmations came after the former managing director of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, resigned on Wednesday amid corruption allegations raised against him by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed in a statement that Gbenga Komolafe had also stepped down as the chief executive of the NUPRC.
Following the development, President Bola Tinubu wrote to the National Assembly, requesting the expedited confirmation of Eyesan as CEO of the NUPRC and Mohammed as head of the NMDPRA.
The Presidency described the nominees as “seasoned professionals” in the oil and gas industry.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives had summoned both Dangote and Ahmed and directed them to refrain from further public comments.
Dangote had earlier 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 urged the anti-graft agency to arrest, investigate, and prosecute the former NMDPRA chief.
He alleged that Ahmed lived beyond his means, claiming that four of his children attended secondary schools in Switzerland at costs amounting to several millions of dollars.
Dangote further alleged that about $5 million was spent on their secondary education and upkeep over six years, in addition to $2 million on tertiary education, including an alleged $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of Ahmed’s children.
He listed the names of the children and the schools they attend, urging the ICPC to prosecute Ahmed in accordance with the law.
“We have no reservation that, being a matter that is in the public domain, the Commission will not close its eyes to it but act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is protected,” part of the petition read.
The ICPC confirmed receipt of the petition and assured that it would be “duly investigated.”
On Sunday, Dangote also accused the NMDPRA leadership under Ahmed of economic sabotage, alleging that certain regulatory actions 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 discouraging domestic refiners and sustaining dependence on imports.
He further alleged collusion between the regulator and international traders and oil importers to the detriment of local operators.
Ahmed, however, dismissed the allegations in a brief statement, describing them 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 brickbat,” he said.