Breaking News

Court fines applicants, lawyer N17m for challenging Tinubu’s inauguration

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, May 26, awarded a total sum of N17 million against three applicants and their lawyer in a suit seeking to stop the swearing-in of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on May 29 for being frivolous and abuse of court process.

The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, said the applicants, who were neither candidates nor members of a political party in the election that produced Tinubu as the President-elect, lacked locus standi (legal right) to institute the matter.

Justice Omotosho, who described the suit as vexatious, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter being a post-election matter which ought to have been filed at the Appeal Court.

The three applicants – Praise Ilemona Isaiah, Pastor Paul Isaac Audu, and Dr Anongu Moses – had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/657/2023.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Court dismisses suit challenging Tinubu’s inauguration

In the suit, they sued President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Others were the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 7th defendants, respectively.

In the motion dated May 18 and filed May 22, the applicants sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd defendant (Tinubu) from being sworn in as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

In a 10-ground of argument attached to the motion, the applicants said that the APC candidate contested the February 25, 2023, presidential election and was declared to have won the poll by INEC (7th defendant).

They said although Tinubu was billed to be sworn in as Nigeria’s President on May 29, they had uncovered that Tinubu, contrary to the affidavit he deposed to in INEC’s Form EC9, besides being a Nigerian, was also a citizen of Guinea Republic, thereby committing the offence of perjury, among others.

The Star

Segun Ojo

Recent Posts

Gaza police chief, 42 others killed in Israeli airstrikes

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 43 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, January 2,…

10 hours ago

Fubara signs N1.1trn 2025 budget into law

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has signed the N1.1 trillion 2025 budget into law. Fubara…

14 hours ago

U.S. police probe motive in New Orleans truck attack

Investigators in New Orleans were on Thursday, January 2, 2025, searching for what motivated a…

16 hours ago

Bishop Odedeji: Nigeria’ll experience God’s touch in 2025

The Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Rt Rev James Olusola Odedeji, has…

19 hours ago

NUPRC: Refineries’ demand for crude oil to hit 770,500 bpd in Q1 2025

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has predicted that local refineries in the country…

19 hours ago

Arteta: Arsenal hit by virus before Brentford win

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed the club’s preparations for their 3-1 win at Brentford…

20 hours ago

This website uses cookies.