Court Dismisses ADC Suit Against Kingibe, Slams Plaintiffs, Lawyer With ₦20m Penalty

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to bar the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, from participating in the affairs of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the case as frivolous and lacking merit.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the issue of discipline and suspension within the party was strictly an internal affair of the ADC and did not require judicial intervention.

The suit was instituted by aggrieved ADC members from Wuse Ward in Abuja, who claimed that Kingibe had been suspended on March 10 over alleged anti-party activities, gross misconduct, disregard for the party’s constitution, and confiscation of statutory ward records.

The plaintiffs, through their counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kolawole Olowookere, had asked the court to restrain the senator from parading herself as a member of the ADC, attending party meetings, performing party-related functions, or interfering in ward administration pending the determination of the substantive suit.

However, Justice Lifu questioned why those who allegedly suspended the senator were seeking judicial validation of their own disciplinary action.

According to the judge, it was the suspended party member who ought to challenge such sanctions in court if she felt aggrieved, not those who imposed the suspension.

He held that the plaintiffs appeared unsure of their own actions and unnecessarily dragged the court into an internal party matter.

Describing the suit as “frivolous, baseless and unfounded,” the judge invoked Sections 82 and 83 of the Electoral Act and imposed a ₦10 million fine on the plaintiffs, payable to Senator Kingibe.

In addition, the court ordered the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Olowookere, to personally pay another ₦10 million to the senator for filing what the court termed a frivolous suit.

The ruling is seen as a significant legal victory for Kingibe amid ongoing tensions within the ADC in the Federal Capital Territory.