Court reinstates Ararume as NNPCL chairman, awards him N5bn in damages

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, declared as illegal, unlawful, null and void, the action of President Muhammadu Buhari in terminating the appointment of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the non-executive Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his judgment on Tuesday, restored Ararume as chairman and awarded him N5 billion in damages against President Buhari and the NNPCL.

It will be recalled that Buhari, had on January 17, 2023 removed Ararume from office as the non-executive Chairman of NNPCL, an action that did not go well with him, as he dragged Buhari to court, praying the court to declare his removal as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and that it was a total breach of CAMA law under which the NNPCL was incorporated.

Ararume further prayed the court to order his restoration back to office and also demanded the payment of N100 billion as compensation for damages he suffered both nationally and internationally.

Read also:NNPC makes fresh move to dismiss Ararume’s N100bn suit

Justice Ekwo, while delivering his judgment, voided Arume’s sacking and awarded N5 billion as damages against Buhari and the NNPCL, to be paid for the disruption of Ararume’s appointment on the ground that the action of the President was arbitrary, unlawful and illegal.

While ordering that Ararume be restored back to office immediately, Justice Ekwo declared as null and void all decisions of the Board of Directors of the NNPCL carried out in the absence of Ararume.

According to the Judge, Buhari acted ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, null and void in the ways and manners Ararume was sacked after using his name to register the NNPCL and that such an act could not stand in the face of the rule of law.

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