A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) preliminary objection in a ₦100 billion import license lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, delivering the ruling, stated that NNPCL failed to submit a counter-affidavit addressing Dangote Refinery’s claims. Instead, it opted to file a preliminary objection, which the judge deemed a procedural misstep.
The court held that challenges to jurisdiction should be addressed during the final judgment rather than through an objection at this stage. Justice Ekwo also ruled that NNPCL violated Order 16 of the Federal High Court rules by filing what he described as an “incompetent preliminary objection.”
Additionally, the judge approved Dangote Refinery’s request to amend its suit, allowing for corrections in how NNPCL’s name was cited in the legal documents. He emphasized that the amendment would not cause any injustice to NNPCL.
The lawsuit, which involves a ₦100 billion import license dispute, remains ongoing as Dangote Refinery moves forward with its legal claims against NNPCL.
