News
Import licence: NNPCL asks court to strike out Dangote Refinery’s suit
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/images-67.jpeg&description=Import licence: NNPCL asks court to strike out Dangote Refinery’s suit', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/images-67.jpeg&description=Import licence: NNPCL asks court to strike out Dangote Refinery’s suit', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to strike out a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, describing it as “incompetent.”
The NNPCL, in a notice of preliminary objection filed by its team of lawyers led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo, argued that the suit is premature.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the application, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024 dated and filed on Nov. 15, was sighted on Wednesday.
NNPCL seeks two orders, which include an order of the honourable court striking out the suit for lack of jurisdiction and alternatively, an order striking out the name of the 2nd defendant (NNPCL) from the suit.
Giving six-ground argument, the corporation argued that Dangote Refinery lacked locus standi to institute the suit.
“The plaintiff’s suit is premature. The plaintiff’s suit discloses no cause of action. The 2nd defendant is not a competent party. The plaintiff’s suit is incompetent. This honourable court lacks the jurisdiction to hear this suit,” the NNPCL said.
In the affidavit in support of the application deposed to by Isiaka Popoola, a clerk in the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co, counsel to the NNPCL, he said one of their lawyers, Esther Longe who perused Dangote’s originating summons, affidavit and written address told him that an examination of the processes showed that NNPC sued by the refinery was non-existent entity.
Popoola averred that the court lacked jurisdiction over the 2nd defendant sued as NNPC.
“This 2nd defendant in this suit as consistently seen on the face of the plaintiff’s originating summons, the affidavit in support and the written address as “Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC)”
“A simple search on the CAC website shows that there is no entity called “Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC).”
“The print out of the said search is hereby attached and marked as Exhibit A,” he said.
According to Popoola, the 2nd defendant/objector is not one and the same with the 2nd defendant sued by the plaintiff.
“The registered name of the 2nd defendant/objector is Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and this is the only name it can be sued by,” he added.
He said the NNPCL as sued by the refinery in the instant suit, is not a competent party or a juristic person.
Popoola, who averred that the suit is incompetent and ought to be struck out, prayed the court to grant their application in the interest of justice.
NAN had earlier reported that three oil marketers had also prayed the court to dismiss the suit.
The oil marketers, in a joint counter affidavit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024 filed on Nov. 5 in response to Dangote Refinery’s originating summons, told Justice Ekwo that granting that application would spell doom for the country’s oil sector.
According to them, the plan to monopolise the oil sector is a recipe for disaster in the country.
The three marketers; AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, in their response, said the plaintiff did not produce adequate petroleum products for the daily consumption of Nigerians.
Besides, they argued that there was nothing placed before the court to prove the contrary.
Dangote Refinery had sued Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) as 1st and 2nd defendants.
Also listed as 3rd to 7th defendants respectively in the originating summons dated Sept. 6 are AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
It prayed the court to nullify import licences issued by NMDPRA to the NNPCL and five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.
The company also prayed the court to declare that NMDPRA was in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.
It stated that such licenses should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.
It also urged the court to declare that NMDPRA is in violation of its statutory responsibilities under the PIA for not encouraging local refineries such as the company.
The company equally sought a N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for allegedly continuing to issue import licences to NNPCL and the five companies for importing petroleum products.
These it said are Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet Fuel (aviation turbine fuel) into Nigeria, “despite the production of AGO and Jet-A1 that exceeds the current daily consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria by the Dangote Refinery.”
Justice Ekwo had fixed Jan. 20, 2025 for report of settlement or service
By Gloria Ikibah
A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Kolawole Akinlayo, has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to strictly apply the provisions of the Electoral Act in resolving the controversy surrounding the party’s primary election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II.
Akinlayo, who represents Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency in the House, made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, following a petition he submitted to the APC National Chairman and the party’s National Assembly Appeal Committee over the outcome of the primary election held on 16 May.
The lawmaker argued that compliance with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as the APC Constitution, is essential to safeguarding the credibility of the party’s internal democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He maintained that the rule of law should take precedence over political considerations, warning that any departure from the Electoral Act could weaken confidence in the party’s candidate selection process and expose the APC to avoidable legal disputes.
Akinlayo also challenged the eligibility of the aspirant declared winner of the primary, Kunle Ibrahim, contending that he did not meet the legal requirements to contest the election.
According to the lawmaker, Ibrahim was still serving as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation at the time the primary was conducted and remained on the government payroll until May 2026.
He insisted that the party should carefully review the facts surrounding the matter and ensure that its final decision is consistent with both the Electoral Act and its own constitution to protect the integrity of the nomination process.
Akinlayo argued that Ibrahim’s participation violated Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides that:
“A political appointee at any level shall not be a voting delegate or be voted for during party conventions, congresses or primaries of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Tukur v. Mustapha (2023), the federal lawmaker contended that political appointees seeking elective office must first resign their appointments before participating in party primaries.
“The purported winner is not qualified to participate in the primary election by virtue of Section 88(1) and his participation, in the eyes of the law, is a nullity ab initio,” he argued.
Beyond the issue of eligibility, Akinlayo alleged that the primary election was marred by widespread irregularities in several wards across the constituency.
Akinlayo further alleged that the primary election was marred by widespread irregularities, including the absence of voter accreditation in some polling areas, inflated vote figures in others, voter suppression and disruption of the exercise in locations where he claimed to enjoy significant support.
He also accused certain local government and party officials of compromising the integrity of the process by serving as returning officers despite having vested interests in the outcome of the election.
Citing the alleged violations, the lawmaker called on the APC leadership to apply the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act by disqualifying Kunle Ibrahim from the contest on the grounds of ineligibility and recognising him as the lawful winner, having emerged second in the primary.
As an alternative, he urged the party’s National Assembly Appeal Committee to cancel the results from the affected wards and order a fresh primary election restricted to aspirants who meet the legal requirements.
The dispute has emerged as one of the earliest major internal challenges facing the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party expected to conclude its appeal process before forwarding the names of its candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The controversy has also renewed attention on Section 88 of the Electoral Act, 2026, which reflects provisions contained in the Electoral Act, 2022 concerning the participation of political appointees in party primaries. The issue has repeatedly come before the courts, with the Supreme Court affirming in Tukur v. Mustapha that political appointees must resign their appointments before contesting or participating in party primaries as either aspirants or delegates.
The decision of the APC’s appeal panel is expected to determine who eventually flies the party’s flag in the 2027 House of Representatives election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II.
A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudi citizens on Sunday, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco.
The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the energy ministry, reported the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east.
“The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.
Aramco says it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters serving more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region.
The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to ramp up their output following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the export of oil and gas.
The Gulf monarchy did not indicate the incident was in any way connected to a hostile attack.
During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks had targeted energy facilities in the Gulf.
Ras Tanura is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day, and is critical to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
The refinery has been targeted several times, notably during an Iranian drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown.
Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks had disrupted several production operations at key facilities, with refineries in Ras Tanura as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh targeted.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, produces a little over 10 million bpd.
AFP
An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, planted by alleged bandits along the Kurawa–Sabon Birni road in Sokoto State on Sunday hit a vehicle, killing one person and injuring many passengers.
The incident raised fresh concerns over the growing use of explosive devices by criminal groups operating in parts of the North-West.
The vehicle was said to be conveying passengers from surrounding communities to Sabon Birni when it ran over the explosive device, triggering a blast that severely damaged the vehicle and left several occupants injured.
A security analyst based in the area, Bashir Guyawa, disclosed the incident in a post on his Facebook page.
Guyawa described the incident as another reminder of the persistent security challenges confronting communities along the border axis.
He said the vehicle was on a routine passenger trip when the explosion occurred.
“The vehicle was conveying passengers early this morning on their way to Sabon Birni when the unfortunate incident happened,” he wrote.
Ekiti APC Primary: Lawmaker Urges Party to Enforce Electoral Act Over Candidate’s Eligibility
The Three-Month Sprint (3): How in 91 Days We Produced Three Frameworks That Entered the Global Knowledge Ecosystem
2026 World Cup: Portugal coach, Martinez considers dropping Ronaldo against Croatia
-
News15 hours agoNDLEA operatives pin down N12.3bn Loud at Lagos port (Photos)
-
News23 hours agoLagos Begins Unique ID Registration For Public, Private School Students
-
News23 hours agoNDC Vice Chairman, Assembly Candidate, Others Defect to APC After Court Nullifies Party Registration
-
News15 hours agoFinally, Oyo Govt Lifts Curfew In 10 LGAs
-
Foreign23 hours agoVenezuela’s earthquake death toll hits 1,430, ‘worst in 123 years’
-
News23 hours ago‘My Wife Sent Love Messages To Her Lover, Threatened Me With Knife For Dating Two Of My Church Members’
-
Sports15 hours agoSee fixtures as nine African nations make FIFA World Cup knockout stage
-
News15 hours agoLady attempts Guinness Record with 144-Hour Bible reading in Port Harcourt
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login