Supreme Court Slams ₦5 Million On Ex-presidential Candidate For Challenging Tinubu’s Election

The Supreme Court in Abuja levied a fine of ₦5 million against Ambrose Albert Owuru, a former presidential candidate, for subjecting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to harassment through a baseless and vexatious lawsuit.

Naija News reports that Owuru, who ran for the presidency in 2019 under the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) against former President Muhammadu Buhari, was mandated to remit the ₦5 million to Tinubu.

Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji issued this directive while dismissing Owuru’s latest suit, which sought the removal of Tinubu from Nigeria’s presidency.

In addition to the monetary penalty, the Supreme Court instructed its Registry to reject any future frivolous originating summons submitted by Owuru.

During the proceedings, Owuru, who asserted that he was a lawyer admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, attempted to represent himself while donning his wig and gown.

He was subsequently ordered to leave the courtroom and to remove his wig and gown before being permitted to present his case.

After complying with the court’s orders, Owuru was questioned about his repeated appearances before the court, given that his previous suits had been dismissed on three occasions.

Despite his efforts to persuade the Supreme Court to hear his arguments, his explanations were deemed unconvincing.

Justice Aba-Aji remarked that Owuru’s behaviour was inappropriate for someone claiming to have over 40 years of legal experience. Ultimately, the court dismissed his suit and mandated him to pay ₦5 million to Tinubu.

Naija News understands that the Court of Appeal had previously levied a fine of ₦40 million against Owuru, which is to be paid to Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other parties, due to his filing of a lawsuit against them.

The new case, designated SC/CV/667/2023, requests that the Supreme Court remove Tinubu from office based on two primary allegations: his purported disqualification to serve as Nigeria’s President and the claimed unlawful assumption of the office in violation of legal statutes.

The defendants in this case include former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Tinubu, listed as the first to fourth defendants, respectively.

Owuru, a lawyer trained in the United Kingdom and admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, maintains that he was the rightful winner of the 2019 presidential election, asserting that Buhari unlawfully occupied the presidency for eight years.

He contends that his case at the Supreme Court, which had the potential to oust Buhari from power, was effectively dismissed by the court due to an error in scheduling the hearings.

Additionally, he has requested that the Supreme Court disqualify Tinubu on the basis of the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States related to an alleged drug trafficking offence.

Beyond the forfeiture claim, Owuru has accused Tinubu of being an operative for the CIA, a claim he argues renders Tinubu ineligible to serve as President of Nigeria.

Specifically, Owuru has urged the Supreme Court to apply Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution to remove Tinubu from office, citing his alleged subjugation to foreign powers.

He has also sought a declaration from the Supreme Court recognizing him as Nigeria’s President and an order for his immediate inauguration to restore his purportedly usurped mandate.