‘It’s Illegal’ – Araraume Challenges Tinubu’s NNPC Appointments

Former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has questioned the legality of President Bola Tinubu’s recent appointments to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited board and management.

Gatekeepers News reports that Araraume, who had previously been appointed as NNPC board chairman by former President Buhari, emphasized that Tinubu’s actions violate a standing court order.

Last week, Tinubu retained Mele Kyari as NNPC’s Chief Executive Officer and appointed Pius Akinyelure as the non-executive board chair.

The former senator, who successfully contested his removal from the NNPC chairmanship in court, asserts that the appointments are illegal and raises concerns over their conformity with established legal rulings.

In a public notice on Saturday, through Ogwu Onoja, his attorney, Araraume said Tinubu’s appointments are illegal and contravene a subsisting court order.

“We state that the purported appointment amounts to a flagrant disobedience of court order and brazen disregard of the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction,” the former senator said.

“We are appalled and shocked that the President could brazenly disobey the court judgment by purporting to appoint a new board and management team for NNPC Ltd instead of giving implementation to the said judgment of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo on the 18th of April, 2023.

“It is shocking that rather than obey the valid and extant judgment of the court, the President has taken the laws into his hands to overrule the courts and usurp the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal before who, the President has filed an appeal which is pending, by taking steps to undermine the judgment by such illegal appointments.

“This singular act of Mr. President unfortunately denotes a wanton disregard for rule of law and a direct affront on the Judiciary.

“With the said judgment still valid and subsisting, it is clear as crystal even to the common man that the appointment of the new Board and Management of the NNPC Ltd by the President on the 27th November, 2023, is illegal, wrongful, null and void and of no legal consequence.

“By this Notice, the general public is therefore warned to beware of those illegal appointments in their own interest.

“The public is urged to avoid having any dealings whatsoever with the new board and management of the NNPC Ltd as anyone who goes ahead to do any business or transactions with them will be doing so at his or her own peril.”

Araraume asked Tinubu to reverse his decision and allow the flow of the rule of law.