The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed a lawsuit seeking the removal of President Bola Tinubu from office. The suit, filed by Ambrose Owuru, the presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the 2019 general election, alleged that President Tinubu’s purported affiliation with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and his prior forfeiture of $460,000 in a drug-related case rendered him unfit for the presidency.
In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji described the suit as frivolous and lacking merit. The court imposed a fine of ₦5 million on Owuru and directed the Supreme Court Registry to reject any future frivolous originating summons from him.
This legal action was not the first initiated by Owuru against President Tinubu. Earlier, Owuru had filed a suit challenging Tinubu’s inauguration, alleging that he was the rightful winner of the 2019 presidential election and that Tinubu had usurped his mandate. The Supreme Court dismissed that suit for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
The court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and discouraging the filing of baseless legal actions. The imposition of a fine serves as a deterrent against the misuse of legal processes for frivolous claims.
As of now, President Tinubu remains in office, with the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming his eligibility to serve as the President of Nigeria.
