Social commentator and activist, Comrade Solomon Lenu, has accused the Federal Government of repeating tactics employed by the military regime of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, in its handling of efforts to resume oil exploration in Ogoni Land.
Lenu said the government’s approach was creating divisions among Ogoni stakeholders and undermining efforts to secure community support for the proposed resumption of oil activities.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Thursday, Lenu said the current administration was following a pattern similar to the approach adopted by the Abacha regime, which contributed to the crisis in Ogoni Land in the 1990s.
“Unfortunately, from all that I am seeing, and from all that is happening back home, the government of Nigeria in 2026 is always doing the same parts, you know, that the government of Nigeria under the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha, you know, in 1993, into the issues of 1995, which caused the crisis,” he said.
He faulted the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC), accusing the government of failing to understand the peculiarities of the Ogoni people and the historical grievances surrounding oil exploration in the area.
According to him, the committee has become divided over the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU), with a larger group of about 40 members opposing its signing without wider consultation with the people.
Lenu alleged that a smaller faction was pushing for the agreement because of its proximity to the Presidency and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He said the process was supposed to be driven by the Ogoni people, insisting that community consent was essential before oil exploration could resume.
“But speaking right now, the discussion that was going smoothly, suddenly has broken down, there’s division in the ODC, the ODC has been broken into two factions right now, as we speak,” he said.
Lenu further accused the government of adopting a divide-and-rule approach, warning that forcing an agreement on the Ogoni people could deepen existing divisions.
He maintained that the government must address longstanding grievances and fulfil its confidence-building commitments before seeking an agreement on the resumption of oil exploration.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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