Appeal Court Slams N40m Fine Over Suit Seeking To Stop Tinubu’s Inauguration
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Angry at what it described as a gross abuse of the court process, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has slammed N40 million fine on a former presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru, for his suit seeking to stop the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president.
A three-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Jamil Tukur, on Thursday, ordered Owuru to pay the sum of N40 million to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he joined as respondents in the matter.
Justice Tukur held that Owuru embarked on gross abuse of the court process by filing a frivolous, vexatious, and irritating suit to provoke the respondents.
The Court of Appeal held that the grievances of Owuru against the 2019 presidential election were not only strange but uncalled for because the grievances had been pursued up to Supreme Court and were dismissed for want of merit.
Justice Tukur said that the action of Owuru to resuscitate the case that died in 2019 at the Supreme Court was aimed at making the lower courts go on a collision course with the supremacy of the apex court.
The appellate court had on May 19 reserved the matter for judgment after listening to the submissions of lawyers in the matter.
Owuru, who was the candidate of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), claimed in suit number CA/CV/259/2023 that he won the 2019 presidential election, and was impacted by the rescheduling of the polls and that holding the inauguration will amount to usurpation of his mandate.
In his submission, counsel to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Adelani Ajibade Esq had earlier pleaded with the appellate Court to sustain the Supreme Court’s ruling of October 11, 2019, and dismiss the appeal with a cost of N20 million.
Similarly, Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hassan Aminu, also urged the appellate Court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit.
