NNPC's lawyers walk out in Ararume's suit challenging sack from board

• Published date: 24 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Lawyers to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) yesterday protested the decision by a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja to promptly hear a suit filed by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume.

Ararume is, by the suit, seeking to, among others, reverse his sack by President Muhammadu Buhari as the Executive Chairman of the NNPCL.

At the mention of the case yesterday, lawyers to the NNPCL, including Konyinsola Ajayi and Etigwe Uwa (both Senior Advocates of Nigeria) walked out in the course of proceedings, following the judge's insistence on a consolidated hearing of the case.

Ajayi, who led the NNPCL's legal team, had sought to move three applications, including the one praying the court to stay proceedings pending the determination of an appeal his client filed against the January 11 ruling by the court.

He argued that his client's application for stay of proceedings should be heard separately and a ruling delivered before the court could entertain any other motion/application.

But Justice Inyang Ekwo directed Ajayi to move all his applications because he (the judge) was meant to hear...