The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has taken steps to appeal the recent court ruling that restored Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the company’s non-executive Chairman. This development was confirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari.
President Buhari stated that his administration respects the Rule of Law and that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice is yet to receive a formal copy of the ruling. He emphasized that due judicial process will be followed, and the NNPCL has already taken steps to go on appeal.
The President called for calm from all parties involved in the matter, as the legal process unfolds.
The recent ruling was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday, reinstating Senator Ararume as the NNPCL non-executive Chairman. The Court voided his earlier removal by President Buhari on January 17, 2022, stating that the action of the President was unlawful and illegal.
In the suit instituted by Senator Ararume, Justice Ekwo awarded the sum of N5 billion against President Buhari and NNPCL to be paid to Ararume as damages for his wrongful sack. The judge further ordered that Ararume be immediately restored to office as the non-executive Chairman of NNPCL and declared null and void all decisions of the NNPCL Board of Directors carried out in his absence.
Justice Ekwo also held that President Buhari acted ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, null and void in the manner in which Ararume was sacked after using his name to register NNPCL, stating that such actions cannot stand in the face of the law.
Ararume had sued President Buhari, alleging that his removal as NNPC Chief was illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional, and a breach of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) under which NNPCL was incorporated. He had also sought an order from the court to return him to office and demanded the sum of N100 billion as compensation for damages suffered as a result of his removal.
The appeal by NNPCL against the restoration of Senator Ararume as Chairman indicates that the legal battle over his reinstatement is far from over. As the case progresses through the judicial system, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how it unfolds and how it may impact the operations of NNPCL, which is a key player in Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Meanwhile, President Buhari’s call for calm from all parties involved underscores the need for a peaceful resolution to the matter in accordance with the Rule of Law.
