By Matthew Tabe
Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain from Imo State, has filed N100billion suit against President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that he was unlawfully removed as a non-Executive Chairman of the newly Incorporated Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC.
ALSO READ: Enugu APC House of Reps candidate dies in road accident
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/691/2022, which he filed through a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Chris Uche and Ogwu Onoja, Ararume, formulated four issues for the Federal High Court in Abuja to determine in his favour.
Specifically, he is urging the court to determine whether in view of the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the NNPC, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the office of the non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC is not governed and regulated by the law.
He is also asking the court to determine whether by the interpretation of section 63 (3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, President Buhari could lawfully remove him as non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC for any reason outside the provisions of the law.As well as, whether the President could sack him without compliance with expressly stated provisions of the Articles of Memorandum of Association of the Company, section 63 (3) of the PIA Act 2021 and section 288 of the CAMA Act 2020.
ALSO READ: 2023: PDP women leader defects to APC in Zamfara
Besides, he is praying the court to determine whether his purported removal vide a letter dated January 17, 2022, without compliance with expressly stated provisions of the law, was not wrongful, illegal, null and void and of no legal consequence whatsoever.
Upon determination of the issues, the plaintiff, wants the court to declare that by the provisions of section 63 (3) of the PIA Act, CAMA Act and Memorandum of Association of the NNPC, the President could not, by will, remove him from office as non-Executive Chairman without following due process of the law.
Aside from seeking to set aside his removal from office, Ararume, prayed the court to reinstate and restore him back with all the appurtenant rights and privileges of the office of the NNPC non-Executive Chairman.