The Supreme Court, on Monday, dismissed a suit filed by Chief Ambrose Owuru, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), seeking to remove President Bola Tinubu from office.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji, the apex court fined Owuru N5 million for filing what it described as a frivolous suit. The court also directed its registry to reject any similar frivolous filings from Owuru in the future.
Owuru had alleged that President Tinubu was unfit to hold office, claiming he was an agent of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and had forfeited $460,000 in a U.S. drug-related case. He called on the court to invoke Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution to disqualify Tinubu and declare himself the rightful president.
Owuru also challenged the legitimacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, alleging that Buhari usurped his 2019 mandate. According to Owuru, he had won a referendum preceding the 2019 election, where he claimed to have garnered over 50 million votes. He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) manipulated the election results in favor of Buhari.
The Supreme Court panel, however, lambasted Owuru for wasting the court’s time, noting that similar suits filed by him had been dismissed three times previously. His attempt to argue the case in court while dressed in a lawyer’s wig and gown was also rebuffed, as the court ordered him to remove the attire before addressing the bench.
The panel warned that Owuru’s actions could result in disciplinary measures, including a referral to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).
This is not the first time Owuru has faced penalties for filing baseless suits. In May 2023, the Court of Appeal fined him N40 million for attempting to stop Tinubu’s swearing-in.
Despite multiple setbacks, Owuru has continued to claim that he is the rightful winner of the 2019 presidential election, asserting that his petition was unjustly dismissed due to an alleged mix-up in hearing dates. He also sought to nullify the 2023 election, halt Tinubu’s inauguration, and secure a court order for his own swearing-in as president.
The court’s decision marks yet another blow to Owuru’s persistent legal battles, reinforcing its stance against frivolous and unsubstantiated claims.
