JUST IN: FG To Appeal Ararume’s Reinstatement As NNPC Board Chairman

The Federal Government has said it will appeal the Federal High Court’s judgment which nullified the removal of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as board chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited

Ararume had filed a N100 billion suit challenging his replacement by President Muhammadu Buhari when the latter constituted a nine-member board and management of the NNPC Limited in January 2022.

In his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/691/2022, the lawmaker had asked the court to “determine whether his replacement did not contravene provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the NNPC, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, amongst others.”

On Tuesday, Ekwo agreed with Ararume’s submissions, saying his removal was illegal.

President Buhari had on September 2021 appointed Ararume as the non-executive chairman of the NNPC Limited but later replaced him with Margret Chuba Okadigbo before the team’s inauguration.

But in a statement on Wednesday, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, stated the NNPCL and Attorney General of the federation will appeal the decision.

Adesina added that “due judicial process will be followed, and that the NNPCL has already taken steps to go on appeal.”