The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has dismissed reports in a section of the media alleging that it paid bribe to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and provided funds for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to buy votes in the just concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election.
NNPC spokesman, Dr Kennie Obateru, in a statement described the reports as “mischievous and contrived allegations, without any substance in truth, ostensibly designed to serve the selfish ends of their sponsors to bring NNPC to disrepute and to tarnish the corporation’s image”.
On the alleged bribe or Covid-19 palliative to NANS published by Saharareporters, NNPC confirmed that it received a letter dated April 22, 2020, from NANS requesting for financial support to enable the association to provide palliatives to students who were stranded at various schools during the lockdown – a request the corporation could not honour due to the peculiar circumstances and financial constraints thrown up by the global oil market meltdown.
On the allegation of providing funds to support the All Progressives Congress (APC), in buying votes during the Ondo State gubernatorial election published by Nairaland, Dr Obateru said that the NNPC is non-partisan, and that the corporation is owned by all Nigerians, hence it does not engage in sponsorship of political parties or causes.
The corporation therefore called on Saharareporters and Nairaland to retract the reports; failing which it would be compelled to seek legal redress as appropriate.
It also “urged members of the public to discountenance the reports, stressing that they were a crass display of unprofessionalism with predetermined conclusions aimed at serving the selfish purposes of their sponsors”.
