The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is to appeal the judgment by the Federal High Court, Abuja, which reinstated Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as its non-executive chairman.
Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Adesina, the President said he has taken due notice of judgment by the Federal High Court, Abuja, which reinstated Ararume, and that his administration respects the Rule of Law, and nothing will be done outside the law, to resolve the matter.
While noting that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice is yet to receive a formal copy of the ruling, Adesina promised that due judicial process would be followed, and that the NNPCL had already taken steps to go on appeal.
The president has therefore sued for calm from all sides involved in the matter.
Delivering Judgement in a suit instituted by Ararume, Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday ordered his reinstatement as NNPCL non-Executive Chairman.
The judge voided his sack and set aside the removal done on January 17, 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari on the ground that the action of the President was unlawful and illegal.
Justice Ekwo awarded the sum of N5Bn against Buhari and NNPCL to be paid to Ararume as damages for his wrongful sack.
Justice Ekwo ordered that Ararume be immediately restored to office as non Executive Chairman of the NNPCL.
The judge also declared as null and void all decisions of the Board of Directors of the NNPCL carried out in the absence of Ararume.
The court further held that President Buhari acted ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, null and void in the ways and manners Ararume was sacked after using his name to register NNPCL and that such brazen act cannot stand in the face of the law.
Ararume had sued Buhari, praying the Court to declare his removal as NNPC Chief, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and that it is a total breach of the CAMA law under which NNPCL was incorporated.