Supreme Court to Ex-Presidential Candidate: Stop Dreaming, Pay ₦5 Million for Harassing Tinubu!
Supreme Court to Ex-Presidential Candidate: Stop Dreaming, Pay ₦5 Million for Harassing Tinubu!
The Supreme Court in Abuja on Monday imposed a ₦5 million fine on former presidential candidate Ambrose Albert Owuru for filing a frivolous and vexatious suit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Owuru, who contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), sought to have Tinubu removed as Nigeria’s President. Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji, in dismissing the case, described Owuru’s actions as an abuse of the judicial process. The court also barred its Registry from accepting any future frivolous filings from Owuru.
The case, marked SC/CV/667/2023, alleged that Tinubu was unqualified to hold office and accused him of usurping the presidency in violation of the law. Owuru further claimed that he had won the 2019 presidential election and that his mandate had been usurped by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
At the hearing, Owuru, a British-trained lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, arrived at the court in full legal attire and sought to argue his case. He was ordered to remove his wig and gown before being allowed to proceed. Despite his attempts to justify his suit, the court found his arguments unconvincing and dismissed the case.
Justice Aba-Aji criticized Owuru’s behavior, stating that it was unbecoming of a lawyer with over 40 years of experience. Apart from the ₦5 million fine payable to Tinubu, the Court of Appeal had previously fined Owuru ₦40 million for filing similar suits against Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and others.
Owuru’s claims included allegations of Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in the United States over an alleged drug-related offense and accusations of Tinubu being an agent of the CIA. He urged the court to invoke Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution to disqualify Tinubu and declare himself the rightful president of Nigeria.
The Supreme Court rejected all his prayers and reaffirmed its stance against abuse of the judicial process.