An Abuja-based Federal High Court has described as an abuse of court processes a suit challenging the candidacy of the foremost presidential candidate in the country and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The suit was filed by Elder Ngozika Ihuoma in June this year against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress and four others to challenge the process that led to Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
Among Ihuoma’s prayers in his suit number, FHC/ABJ/CS/854/ 2022 was that Tinubu be barred from contesting in the presidential election having convincingly won the ticket of the party.
Countering the suit, a counter affidavit was filed by the law office of Babatunde Ogala (SAN) & Co on behalf of All Progressives Congress in against the Originating Summons and a Notice of Preliminary Objection.
The defendants’ counsel challenged Ihuoma’s locus standi and grounds for the action as it prayed to the court to declare the suit as speculative, pre-emptive and non-justiciable being an internal affair of a political party noting that it is academic, theoretical and an abuse of court process.
It was also argued that the suit was a waste of judicial time as Ogala urged the court to dismiss it with heavy court.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, December 5, Justice Fadima Aminu Muritala subscribed to the counter affidavit filed by the defendants’ counsel as it struck out the case and described the plaintiff a meddlesome interloper having no locus standi to institute the suit.
