The National Patriotic Front for Tinubu (NPFFT) has expressed concern over the alleged exclusion of Cross River State indigenes from the 2026 promotion exercise conducted by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Speaking at a world press conference in Calabar on Tuesday, the pro-Tinubu group alleged that although 106 officers were promoted across four management cadres, none of the successful candidates was an indigene of Cross River State.
The group said the promotions covered four levels: Manager to Senior Manager, Senior Manager to Assistant Director, Assistant Director to Deputy Director, and Deputy Director to Director. According to NPFFT, Cross River indigenes were represented across all four cadres, with at least seven officers eligible for promotion, yet none reportedly made the final list.
Presenting what it described as a regional comparison, NPFFT Director General, Castro Ezama, said Rivers State recorded at least eight promotions, while Edo and Delta states recorded no fewer than six each. Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, he added, recorded three promotions each.
Ezama questioned how an exercise involving more than 100 promotions could result in no successful candidate from Cross River State despite the presence of eligible officers across the relevant management levels.
He stressed that the group was not demanding preferential treatment for Cross River indigenes or asking the Commission to compromise its standards. Rather, he said the concern was whether the process provided equal opportunity and complied with the federal character principle contained in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“Promotion must remain based on eligibility, competence, performance, experience and the Commission’s approved criteria,” Ezama said, while calling for greater transparency in the process.
NPFFT subsequently called on the NUPRC management and Governing Board to order an independent and impartial review of the 2026 promotion exercise. It also requested a cadre-by-cadre breakdown of officers who were eligible, assessed and promoted, as well as disclosure of the applicable scoring system, pass marks and moderation procedures.
The group further urged the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to examine the state-of-origin distribution of the promotions.
It also appealed to the chairmen of the Senate Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) and Gas, both of whom are from Cross River State, to exercise their legislative oversight responsibilities by requesting the official promotion records and considering a formal hearing on the matter.
NPFFT urged affected officers to remain calm and law-abiding, while calling on the Federal Government and the Presidency to ensure that public institutions maintain transparency, merit and adherence to federal character principles.
As of the time of filing this report, NUPRC management had not issued an official response to the allegations.
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