Appeal Court Slams N40m Fine On Ex-Presidential Candidate Over Suit Against Tinubu’s Inauguration

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has slammed a fine of N40m on a former presidential candidate, Chief Ambrose Owuru, for filing a frivolous suit to stop the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, slated for Monday, May 29, 2023.

The appellate court ordered him to pay the fine of N10m each to outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Tinubu, whom he made 1st to 4th Defendants in the suit.

Justice Jamil Tukur, who read the lead judgment of the three-man panel of the Justtices, held that Owuru embarked on gross abuse of court process by filing frivolous, vexatious and irritating suit to provoke the Respondents.

The Court of Appeal held that the grievances of Owuru against the 2019 presidential election was not only strange but uncalled for because the grievances had been pursued up to the Supreme Court and was dismissed for want of merit.

Justice Tukur said that the action of Owuru to resuscitate the case that died since 2019 at the Supreme Court was aimed at making the lower courts to go on collision course with supremacy of the apex Court.