Inauguration: Court orders applicants, lawyer to pay Tinubu, APC N17m over frivolous suit

A Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday, awarded a total sum of N17 million against three applicants and their lawyer in a suit, seeking to stop the swearing-in of Sen. Bola Tinubu on May 29 as fifth Nigeria’s democratic president for being frivolous and abuse of court process.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, said the applicants, who were neither candidates or members of a political party in the election that produced Tinubu as president-elect, lacked locus standi (legal right) to institute the matter.

Justice Omotosho, who described the suit as vexatious, further 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 News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three applicants; Praise Ilemona Isaiah, Pastor Paul Isaac Audu and Dr Anongu Moses had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/657/2023.

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

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

In the motion dated May 18 and filed May 22, the applicants sought an order of interim injunction restraining the 2^nd 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 last presidential election and was declared to have won the poll by INEC (7^th defendant).

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

The matter was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report. (NAN)