Supreme Court Imposes N5m Fine on Ex-Presidential Candidate for Frivolous Lawsuits Against Tinubu
The Supreme Court has imposed a N5 million fine on Ambrose Owuru, a former presidential candidate, for filing frivolous and vexatious suits against President Bola Tinubu. Owuru, who contested the 2019 presidential election under the Hope Democratic Party, was found guilty of harassing Tinubu with baseless legal claims. The court dismissed his latest suit seeking Tinubu’s removal as president, and in addition to the fine, it ordered that the court’s registry would no longer accept any frivolous suits originating from Owuru.
During the proceedings, Owuru, who claimed to be a lawyer, attempted to argue his case while wearing his wig and gown, but he was ordered to remove them before proceeding. The court questioned his persistence in bringing the same type of suit, which had already been dismissed multiple times.
Owuru’s explanations were deemed unconvincing, and the court threatened to refer him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for his unprofessional conduct. Justice Aba-Aji criticized Owuru’s actions as unbecoming of a lawyer with over 40 years of experience.
The court rejected Owuru’s latest petition, which sought to disqualify Tinubu on grounds of alleged foreign involvement and other accusations, including forfeiture of funds in the United States. The suit also claimed Tinubu was under foreign control, a claim the court dismissed as lacking merit.
President Tinubu’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Bode Olanipekun, highlighted the repetitive and poorly framed nature of Owuru’s lawsuits, wasting the court’s time. Olanipekun described Owuru’s conduct as an unbearable burden on the legal profession.
The court’s ruling also included a reminder that the Nigerian Bar Association would be notified about Owuru’s conduct. This ruling follows a previous N40 million fine imposed by the Court of Appeal for similar frivolous suits.
Owuru had also claimed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of his previous attempt to remove former President Buhari was due to a mix-up in hearing dates, further highlighting his pattern of baseless legal claims. The court dismissed all of his allegations and ordered him to pay the fine to President Tinubu.
