The Supreme Court, on Monday, awarded a N5 million fine against Mr Ambrose Owuru, a former presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, for filing a suit described as “frivolous and vexatious” against President Bola Tinubu.
In a judgment read by Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, the five-member panel of justices also ordered the court registry not to accept any frivolous suit from Owuru henceforth.
Mr Owuru, a British-trained lawyer, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1982. He was the presidential candidate of the defunct Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the 2019 presidential poll.
In the suit marked SC/CV/667/2023, Mr Owuru had urged the apex court to sack Mr Tinubu over alleged non-qualification to hold office and usurpation of the same office against the law of the country.
The lawyer, who filed the suit directly at the Supreme Court, sued former President Muhammadu Buhari, the attorney general of the federation and INEC and Mr Tinubu as first to fourth defendants, respectively.
The plaintiff insisted that he won the 2019 presidential poll but that Mr Buhari allegedly usurped his tenure for eight years. He claimed that his suit at the Supreme Court, which would have kicked Mr Buhari out of office, was technically jettisoned by the apex court due to a mix-up in the hearing dates.
When the case was called on Monday, Mr Owuru stood to argue his own case wearing his wig and gown. He was, however, ordered out of the Bar and directed to remove his wig and gown before he could be allowed to argue his case.
Upon complying with the orders, Mr Owuru was asked why he came before the court again, having had his suits dismissed three times.
Although he tried unsuccessfully to convince the court to grant him an audience, his explanations were rejected as unconvincing.
Following his recalcitrance, the court threatened to refer him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
Mrce Aba-Aji, in the ruling, held that Mr Owuru’s conduct was unbecoming of a lawyer of over 40 years, as he claimed to be.
The apex court lambasted him for taking the court for a ride, wasting its precious time with a baseless suit, and grossly abusing the court processes.
Before the suit was thrown out, Bode Olanipekun, who appeared for Mr Tinubu, had drawn the court’s attention to several cases of Mr Owuru that were dismissed on account of frivolity.
The senior lawyer said the direction of the instant suit could not be understood because of the poor manner in which the applicant couched it.
Mr Olanipekun also mentioned that it was difficult for him to apologise to the court on behalf of Mr Owuru because the applicant’s conduct had become unbearable.
The judge consequently dismissed the suit and awarded N5 million against him and in favour of Mr Tinubu.
In his response, a professor of law, Taiwo Osipitan, who was also in court, assured that the conduct of the former presidential candidate would be referred to the Nigerian Bar Association.
The Court of Appeal had previously imposed a fine of N40 million on Mr Owuru, which was to be paid to Mr Tinubu, INEC, and others for filing a suit against them.
(NAN)
