Chukwu Obinna 
KADUNA, Nigeria – Protesters under the banner of Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP) on Monday marched through Kaduna to urge President Bola Tinubu to defend Nigeria’s local refineries from “economic sabotage.”
Carrying placards reading “Support Local Refining” and “Protect Dangote Refinery,” demonstrators called on the Federal Government to curb foreign interests allegedly working against domestic fuel production.
“This is not about Dangote alone; it’s about Nigeria’s economic survival,” PANEP leader Igwe Ude-Umanta said. “The President must crush those sabotaging our march toward self-reliance.”
He accused some oil unions and importers of colluding with foreign actors to frustrate operations at Dangote Refinery, warning that investors may withdraw if sabotage continues.
“What PENGASSAN did was not unionism; it was sabotage,” Ude-Umanta added, urging the government to treat economic disruption as a crime against national interest.
PANEP also praised Dangote Refinery for lowering fuel prices and boosting local supply. It urged Tinubu to sustain his reform agenda and ensure local refineries receive crude at competitive rates.
“The refinery’s success is a test of Nigeria’s industrial revival,” the group said.
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