Civil Society groups under the umbrella of *Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP)* has staged a *mega citizens’ rally* in Abuja, declaring open resistance to entrenched sabotage within Nigeria’s petroleum sector and calling for support for the Dangote refinery.
The rally, themed *“National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,”* comes amid mounting concerns over economic subversion by cartels accused of undermining reforms and frustrating the operations of the *Dangote Refineries and Petrochemical Limited*.
Organisers insist that internal and external saboteurs-through diversion, smuggling, hoarding, price manipulation, and collusion with rogue unions-are waging an “economic war” against Nigerians. These actions, they argue, are calculated to reverse progress made since President *Bola Ahmed Tinubu* removed the subsidy regime and supported domestic refining.
> “The sabotage must stop, and it must stop now and forever,” declared the conveners, who accuse certain labour unions and oil associations of playing the script of vested cabals determined to sustain fuel importation at the expense of citizens.
PANEP maintains that groups such as *PENGASSAN, NUPENG, DAPPMAN, PETROAN* are not genuinely fighting for workers’ welfare but are instead, shielding cabals who thrived under decades of import dependency. They point to recent industrial actions, which disrupted national supply chains, as deliberate acts of “economic terrorism.”
The rally highlights the historical failure of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, describing them as conduits for billions of wasted dollars under the guise of rehabilitation. By contrast, the Dangote facility is celebrated as a turning point that promises competitive pricing, forex earnings through exports, and the end of reliance on low-quality imported fuel.
In their communiqué, the conveners *congratulate President Tinubu on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary*, lauding his political courage in terminating subsidy fraud and championing private refining as a pillar of the *Renewed Hope Agenda.*
They stress that the standoff is no longer between Dangote and oil unions, but between Nigerians eager for economic liberation and a cartel intent on dragging the nation backward.
“Our destinies are in our hands, and we have taken them,” the statement concluded, urging government and citizens alike to stand firm against sabotage and embrace an era of energy self-sufficiency.
