Adoke says Tinubu’s OPL 245 settlement indicts Buhari administration

Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation (AGF), has said the recent settlement of the long-running dispute over Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245 by President Bola Tinubu vindicates actions taken during the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan and indicts the government of Muhammadu Buhari.

The presidency on Thursday announced the conclusion of a settlement agreement between the federal government and oil firms Eni and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAEL), bringing to an end a dispute over the oil block that has lasted more than 15 years.

The agreement was signed by Tinubu at a ceremony in Abuja attended by senior officials of the companies.

According to a statement by the spokesperson to the President, Bayo Onanuga, the deal resolves a protracted legal battle and restores clarity to OPL 245, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most commercially promising deepwater assets.

Reacting to the development, Adoke commended the Tinubu administration for resolving the dispute “in the spirit of statesmanship”, stating that the president understands the economic significance of the oil-rich asset.

Adoke, who served as AGF and minister of justice between April 2010 and May 2015, said he had earlier attempted to resolve the dispute in the national interest while in office.

However, he alleged that the Buhari administration instead subjected him to “humiliation and defamation”, alongside what he described as “trophy-hunting anti-corruption activists”.

According to him, the latest settlement demonstrates that the approach taken during the Jonathan administration was in the country’s best interest.