Buhari to replace Diezani as OPEC President

Buhari                                       Diezani

Barring all forces, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to become the next President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as Nigeria still retains its seat, an official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said on Thursday in Abuja.

The exit of Nigeria’s Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke as Minister of Petroleum Resources has nothing to do with the country’s current status as the host of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) presidency, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has quoted an official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as saying on Thursday in Abuja.

This means Nigeria still retains the Presidency of the organisation, but the position would be borne by whoever is appointed the next Minister of Petroleum.

The official said the former minister was elected at the 166th General Meeting of theOPEC, not in her own capacity but to represent Nigeria.

Alison-Madueke was elected president of OPEC on November 27, 2014 but started to function in the office in January 2015.

The president of OPEC, according to the official, is expected to serve for a period of one year and to preside over the meetings of the conference in the course of that presidency.

OPEC, the source says, has an alternate President who exercises the responsibilities of the President during an absence, or when the incumbent is unable to carry out the responsibilities.