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Court to hear NNPC’s objection in Dangote refinery’s import licence suit Feb 5

A federal high court in Abuja has fixed February 5 to hear the preliminary objection filed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited against a suit by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petro-chemicals over an oil import licence dispute.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date on Thursday after George Ibrahim, counsel to Dangote refinery, informed the court that they were yet to file their response to NNPC’s objection.
When the matter was called, Ibrahim told the court that the session was scheduled for the hearing of their motion to amend the originating summons.
He said the amendment, dated November 25, sought a single relief to correct the name of the 2nd defendant from ‘Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited’ to ‘Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited’.
The lawyer said although the NNPC had served them with a counter affidavit opposing the motion for amendment, they had responded based on legal arguments.
“We urge your lordship to disregard the second defendant’s submission,” Ibrahim said, referencing a prior court ruling to support his stance.
However, Ademola Abimbola, NNPC’s counsel, opposed Ibrahim’s argument, stating that the Dangote refinery has not provided them with the previous court judgment cited by its lawyer.
He said NNPC had submitted a seven-paragraph counter affidavit on January 24 opposing the amendment request.
“We rely on all the said paragraphs and Exhibit A, including a written address, in urging my lord to dismiss the plaintiff’s application,” the lawyer said.
The NNPC council argued that the court cannot approve the amendment request because the oil firm had filed a preliminary objection seeking to dismiss the suit.
Citing a Supreme Court ruling, Abimbola said the application to amend should be dismissed, as the preliminary objection must be resolved first.
He said if the amendment is granted, it would undermine NNPC’s objection.
In response, Ekwo asked Abimbola if he was ready to proceed with the preliminary objection, to which the lawyer responded affirmatively.
However, Ibrahim interjected, requesting a two-hour stand-down.

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