OPL 245 Clash: Atiku Camp Accuses AGF of Deflection, Insists on Rule of Law

The Atiku Media Office has criticised the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, over remarks suggesting that opposition voices on the OPL 245 dispute are driven by self-interest rather than patriotism.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the media office said the claim was misleading and an attempt to divert attention from what it described as substantive legal and factual concerns surrounding the reported resolution of the oil block dispute.

The office maintained that its position was based on publicly available records, including a pre-action notice issued by Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, which it said raised serious legal objections to the purported settlement.

According to the statement, documents indicate that key stakeholders have challenged the legitimacy of the claimed resolution, arguing that they were neither consulted nor involved in any negotiation process.

It added that multiple suits relating to OPL 245 remain pending before courts of competent jurisdiction, stressing that the concerns being raised are grounded in documented legal processes rather than political considerations.

“It is disingenuous and troubling for the Attorney-General to dismiss legitimate concerns rooted in verifiable records as self-interest,” the statement said, noting that raising such issues in a constitutional democracy amounts to civic responsibility.

The Atiku Media Office further described OPL 245 as one of Nigeria’s most consequential oil assets, long associated with complex litigation and international scrutiny, and warned against what it called attempts to trivialise the matter.

It called for transparency, adherence to due process and respect for ongoing judicial proceedings, rather than what it termed premature conclusions.

The statement also said Atiku Abubakar had no past or present interest in OPL 245, insisting that its intervention was driven solely by public interest and the need to uphold the rule of law.

The media office urged the Attorney-General to address the substantive legal issues raised, warning that dismissing concerns without engaging the facts could undermine public confidence.

The controversy over OPL 245, one of Nigeria’s most valuable offshore oil assets, has remained a subject of prolonged legal disputes and international attention, with several claims and counterclaims yet to be conclusively resolved.