The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has on August 8, 2025, upheld NNPC Ltd.’s appeal against the Federal High Court’s April 2023 judgment that annulled Senator Ifeanyi Araraume’s removal as non-executive Chairman of the NNPC Board and awarded him ₦5 billion in damages.

Ararume, a former senator representing Imo North, had sued the federal government of Nigeria and former President Buhari for the nullification of his appointment as board chairman of the national oil firm in September 2021, and was later sacked and replaced with Margaret Chuba Okadigbo in January 2022.

The former Senator argued before the Federal High Court that his sack was “wrongful” and amounted to “disruption and interruption” of the term of his office

“The Court of Appeal’s judgement spares NNPC Ltd a massive financial payout and removes a legal risk that could have invalidated all decisions of the Board since 2021.

“The Appeal Court agreed to NNPC Ltd.’s position that the Federal High Court’s earlier decision was delivered in error, noting amongst others, that the claim was statute-barred,” NNPC Limited has declared

NNPC stated that the decision of the Court of Appeal secures governance stability for NNPC Ltd., sets a corporate governance precedent in Nigerian law, and upholds the validity of Board resolutions critical to the oil and gas industry’s investment and policy direction.