Supreme Court upholds Fari as new IPMAN president

The Supreme Court has upheld Alhaji Sanusi Abdu Fari, as the new National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) The Nation can authoritatively report.

This followed the judgment delivered by five Justices of the Supreme Court including: Musa Datiijo Muhammad, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs, Kudirat Montomori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, Chima Centus Nweze, Ejembi Eko in suit no. SC/15/2018 which affirmed the judgment delivered by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt in suit no. FHC/PH/CS/12/2014, on the 20th of March, 2014.

A certified true copy of the 59-page judgment signed by the Registrar, Bilkisu Musa exclusively obtained by our correspondent, the other Justices of the Supreme Court led by Justice Datiijo at separate rulings, said based on the judgment of the Federal High Court, Chief Obasi Lawson became the National President of IPMAN on 20th March, 2014 and by the 1997 Constitution of IPMAN, his tenure expired in March, 2017. Thus the Terms of Settlement filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt which seeks to enthrone the 2009 Constitution with tenure of five years should be set aside.

Based on the judgment, Fari who served as the former Deputy President to Chief Obasi Lawson has been sworn in as the new IPMAN National President according to the Supreme Court judgment that upheld the 1997 constitution of IPMAN Association.

Subsequently, Dr. Kolawole Adewoyin, a member from the South West Zone, was elected Deputy National President (IPMAN).

Lending credence to the Supreme Court judgment, in a statement issued by Chief Ukadike Chinedu, the erstwhile Chief of Staff to the immediate past National President of IPMAN, Chief Obasi Lawson a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, said Fari remains the substantive President of IPMAN.

In the statement, which reads in part, Chinedu said, “The 1997 Constitution has a process of transition?  It is transition by succession. The Deputy National President automatically takes over from the president at the expiration of the tenure. By interpretation, Chief Obasi’s deputy takes over by the dictates of the constitution upheld by the Supreme Court. Nobody was declared the president expressly and the constitution (1997) is clear on transition. The affirmation of the Court implies that there was only one President and that his tenure has elapsed. By the dictates of the same constitution which is the foundation, the process of law takes its course.

“Contrary to the misguided jubilation and propaganda by some miscreants and street urchins , there is nowhere in the judgment  of the Supreme Court in the IPMAN case where the Supreme Court either directly or by necessary implication declared Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo as the National President of IPMAN.”

The implication of Supreme Court judgment, Chinedu emphasised, said the apex court recognised the tenure of Chief Obasi Lawson as the immediate-past National President of IPMAN and has also upheld the 1997 Constitution with tenure of office of three years.

“By Article IV of the 1997 Constitution, the Deputy National President who was Engr. Abdu Fari automatically takes over as the National President of IPMAN. This is the correct interpretation of the judgment,” he stressed.