A former presidential candidate, Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, has been slapped with a N40 million fine by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, for filing a frivolous suit aimed at stopping the inauguration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29.
The three-man panel of the court ordered Owuru to pay N10 million each to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and Tinubu, who were made 1st to 4th defendants.
The lead judgment was read by Justice Jamil Tukur, who held that Owuru had embarked on a gross abuse of court processes by filing a vexatious and irritating suit to provoke the respondents.
The Court of Appeal further explained that Owuru’s grievances against the 2019 presidential election had already been pursued to the Supreme Court, where it was dismissed for want of merit. As a result, the move to resuscitate the case that had been long settled through legal means at the highest level was deemed baseless and an unnecessary provocation of the respondents.
The court’s decision was aimed at ensuring that the lower courts do not undermine the supremacy of the apex court, given the finality of its decisions on matters of this nature.
It is yet to be seen if Owuru will appeal the ruling or if he will comply with the court’s order by paying the N40 million fine to the affected parties.
