Petroleum Marketers Warned Against Sabotaging Dangote’s Refinery: “Mouthpiece to Fuel Subsidy Cabal”

• Petroleum marketers have been sternly warned against attempts to sabotage Dangote’s refinery operations
• Critics described the marketers as the “mouthpiece” of the fuel subsidy cabal
• Stakeholders emphasized that undermining the refinery threatened Nigeria’s energy stability

The Oduduwa Progressive Economic Forum (OPEF) has accused the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) of acting as “the official mouthpiece of an evil cabal” that crippled Nigeria’s refining capacity.

In a strongly worded statement cited by Legit.ng on Sunday, September 14, OPEF’s Executive Director, Dr Rotimi Adeyanju, said DAPPMAN’s recent comments on Dangote Refinery amounted to “the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob,” claiming the association was defending vested interests fearful of losing their grip on the downstream oil sector.

DAPPMAN downplays Dangote’s role

DAPPMAN’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, had earlier argued that Dangote Refinery supplied only 30–35 per cent of national demand, stressing that marketers continued to provide the balance through imports.

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He also warned against what he described as “misleading narratives” portraying Dangote as the sole stabiliser of Nigeria’s fuel supply.

OPEF describes comments as “smokescreen”

OPEF dismissed the statement as a desperate attempt to mask the cabal’s historical role in destroying Nigeria’s state-owned refineries and profiting from subsidy scams.

“For decades, these cabals controlled Nigeria’s energy destiny like feudal lords. They destroyed our refineries, forced the country into perpetual importation, and bled the treasury through subsidy scams. Now, they want to frustrate Dangote Refinery because it threatens their empire of rent-seeking. Nigerians will not allow it,” Adeyanju declared.

Cheaper fuel seen as relief for citizens

Responding to claims that Dangote’s price cuts destabilised the market, OPEF insisted that Nigerians had been the real beneficiaries.

“If a domestic refinery reduces pump prices, that is called relief for citizens. Only a cartel that has grown fat on monopoly would call cheaper fuel a destabilising act,” the forum stated.

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Forum challenges quality concerns

OPEF also accused marketers of hypocrisy, recalling past fuel crises linked to imported products.

“The irony of marketers accusing Dangote of product inconsistency is not lost on Nigerians. We still remember toxic petrol shipments, long queues, and endless scarcity. Let them not insult our memory,” Adeyanju said.

Call for government intervention

Warning that Nigerians were running out of patience, OPEF urged President Bola Tinubu, regulators, and security agencies to resist attempts to destabilise Dangote Refinery through “sponsored propaganda and cartel manoeuvres.”

“This refinery symbolises the rebirth of our industrial spirit. Any attack on it is an attack on the Nigerian people. The cartel should know that Nigerians are watching, and this time, the old tricks will not work,” the forum concluded.

Dangote refinery slashes petrol price

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in its gantry petrol price to ₦820 per litre.

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The new rate, which takes effect on Monday, September 15, 2025, represents a ₦15 drop from the current price of ₦840 per litre.

Also, Dangote Group, in a statement announcing the direct supply of petrol programme, revealed that the retail pump price will vary across states.

Source: Legit.ng