Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted the request on Monday while ruling on an application by the minister and NNPC to amend their originating summons in the case.

The court said it granted the request because it was innocuous and did not, in any way, change the character of the claims in the original originating summons filed by the plaintiffs.

Besides, the court held that the request to amend was the first in the case and did not amount to abuse.

Specifically, the court held that it would pronounce, as amended, on whether or not the proposed investigative public hearing by the House of Representatives is not illegal, null and void for failure to comply with the requirement of section 88 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) requiring that the resolutions in respect of such public hearings or investigations be published in the prescribed manner.

The court however refused a separate request by Alison-Madueke and the NNPC to further amend the suit to include seeking the pronouncement of the court on whether or not the powers conferred on the National Assembly in Section 88 extend to holding hearings on petitions written against agencies of government or carrying out oversight visits by relevant committees of the two chambers to conduct examination in relation to nominal roll, budget progress reports, among others.

The court said the prayer, if granted, would change the character of claims in the original motion before the court.

The court had earlier urged the parties to maintain status quo.

Alison-Madueke and NNPC had filed an originating summon in court seeking among others, “a declaration that having regard to the provisions of Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 8 of the Legislatives Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act Cap. L12 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010, the respondents or any of their committees are precluded from summoning the applicants to appear before them for the purpose of giving evidence and or producing any papers, books, records or other documents which relate to the unpublished official records of the applicants without the consent of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria first and obtained by the respondents or their committees.

“A declaration that having regard to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as altered, especially Sections 88 and 89 thereof, the respondents acted ultra vires their powers and functions by sending out invitations to the applicants and agencies under their control when such invitations are not for the purpose of enabling the respondents make laws or correct any defect in existing laws.”

They asked the court to quash the invitation and declare that the House of Representatives lacked the powers to invite them when such invitations were not for the purpose of enabling the Respondents make laws or correct any defect in existing laws.

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Sources told our correspondent at the weekend in Abuja that the minister, worried by leakage of information on alleged N10 billion chartered jet, is set to sack two of her Special Assistants (one of whom is in charge of a sensitive unit.)who are being linked with the leakage of information.

Sources also said that Minister has also vented her anger at a former Minister, who was recently sacked from the cabinet and some top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the leaks and the management of the fallout.

A source within the ministry said that “There was disquiet in the Minister’s office during the week when some aides were threatened with sack by the Minister. “But at the close of work on Thursday, I saw the affected aides in office. No one was sure whether they came to clear their desks or someone from the top has acceded on their behalf. The true picture will emerge on Tuesday when we resume work,” the source said.

Sources said that the development has resulted in a cold war pitching the Petroleum Minister against the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu whom sources said wad saved from the presidency long hammer last week based on political expediency. “The Presidency which feared it would lose the support of the people of Southern Kaduna for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid in 2015 saved Yakubu from being ousted from his position last week,” the source said.

The President is banking on Northern minorities and Christians to win his re-election bid against the backdrop of perceived hostility of the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy in the North against his ambition.

However, in spite of the intrigues, the House of Representatives has drawn a battle line over its intention to proceed with the probe of the alleged scandal on April 28.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts already has in its possession documents including the movement log of Challenger 850 jet in question.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the chartered jet scandal has caused considerable disquiet in the presidency leading to a major split in the seat of power. While some forces are supporting the minister to confront the House Committee by challenging its powers to investigate in court, some friends and associates of the President are pleading with him to allow the minister bear her cross.

The alleged division has put the minister in a difficult position leading to a desperate moves to reorganise her office and deployment of propaganda by her supporters through the organization of a pocket of pro-Diezani rallies in Abuja.

A top source said that “The chartered jet allegation has put the presidency under undue pressure on whether the Minister should face the probe or not. Although some forces believe that the presidency should live up to its avowed commitment to the fight against corruption, others feel the House should be checked following suspicion that it is using the investigation to undermine the presidency.

“This explains why some people in the presidency are backing Diezani to go to court to obtain injunction to restrain the House Committee on Public Accounts. There is a plan to hang on to legal technicalities to stall the probe.

“Despite plans to frustrate the probe, all is not well in Diezani’s office on how the leakage came about leading to threats to sack two Special Assistants to the Minister during the week. She was said to be uncomfortable with the roles of the SAs on her travel logs with the jet.

“There is so much anger everywhere from the Minister because she has never been under heat like in the past few weeks. During the week, the blame game continued culminating in a cold war between the Minister and some NNPC officials. It got to a stage when she was almost sacking the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu.

“A major source of the war borders on the alleged refusal of the NNPC to pay the outstanding N1.56bn debt on the Challenger 850 jet.

“About 500,000 Euros (aboutN130 million) was paid monthly to hire the jet. The company managing the lease of the aircraft is being owed for 12 months which amounted to about N1.56 billion. The NNPC management was said to be reluctant to pay the debt.

“It is also suspected that some NNPC officials might have contributed to the leakage of information on the chartered jet causing some friction between the Minister and the GMD.

“Also, the GMD was said to be unhappy at being sidelined in decision-making process by the Minister. If she had her way, the GMD would have gone by now.”

It was, however, feared that Yakubu’s sack might trigger political backlash and that “the President would lose the sympathy of Northern minorities who are mostly in the North-Central and some parts of the North-East. The President might lose the support of Northern minority, especially the people of Southern Kaduna, who have been complaining of marginalisation.”

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