Abuja court throws out case against Ireti Kingibe’s suspension, fines plaintiffs N20m

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed a suit filed to validate the indefinite suspension of Senator Ireti Kingibe by the Wuse Ward chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

In his ruling, Justice Peter Lifu held that disciplinary matters and suspension issues within a political party are strictly internal affairs that do not warrant the intervention of the court.

The judge questioned why party officials who carried out the suspension would still seek judicial approval for the same action.

According to him, it was the senator, not the party executives, who should have approached the court if she considered the suspension unfair.

Justice Lifu noted that the plaintiffs’ move to obtain court backing for their decision reflected a lack of confidence in the suspension process itself.

He consequently described the suit as frivolous, baseless and unfounded.

Relying on Sections 82 and 83 of the Electoral Act, the court awarded N10 million costs against the plaintiffs in favour of Mrs Kingibe.

The judge also slammed an additional N10 million penalty on the plaintiffs’ counsel for filing what he termed a frivolous suit, with the amount equally payable to the senator.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Mrs Kingibe was allegedly suspended on March 10 by executives of the Wuse Ward chapter of the ADC.

Ward leaders accused her of anti-party activities and disregard for the party’s constitution.

The suspension was reportedly endorsed by two-thirds of the ward executives.

The plaintiffs, Okezuo Kanayo and Isaiah Samuel, filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CV/539/2026 on behalf of themselves and other ward members, naming the senator as the sole defendant.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kolawole Olowookere, instituted the case for the plaintiffs, seeking an interim injunction restraining the senator from presenting herself as a member of the ADC while under suspension.

They also asked the court to stop her from attending party meetings, carrying out functions meant for ADC members, or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.

The plaintiffs further requested an order preventing her from interfering in ward administration, including access to the ward register and participation in official activities.

According to them, the suspension stemmed from alleged anti-party conduct, gross misconduct and confiscation of statutory ward documents.

They maintained that due process was followed in line with the ADC constitution and that the action was ratified by a two-thirds majority of the ward executive.

The plaintiffs additionally claimed that despite being informed of the suspension, Kingibe continued holding parallel meetings.

They also alleged that she kept issuing statements as an ADC member and used security operatives to intimidate ward executives.

At the previous hearing, counsel to Mrs Kingibe, Marshal Abubakar, argued that the matter lacked merit because it bordered solely on the internal affairs of the party.

Mr Abubakar urged the court to dismiss the suit with punitive costs.

He stated that the party already had laid-down procedures for resolving such disputes, which the plaintiffs allegedly failed to follow.

“The defendant was never invited for anything nor was there any complaint against her,” he said.

He further argued that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the suit because they themselves had been suspended by the party.

The defence lawyer asked the court to throw out the case entirely and award N25 million punitive damages against the plaintiffs.

However, counsel to the plaintiffs, I.G. Ogugua, urged the court to reject the defendant’s submissions.

Mr Ogugua argued that issues concerning the internal affairs of a political party cease to be sacrosanct once the party constitution is breached.

Mrs Kingibe, who won election into the Senate in 2023 under the Labour Party platform to represent the FCT, defected to the ADC last year.

Her move was part of the growing wave of defections involving politicians from the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party into the ADC.

Many APC defectors were reportedly politicians sidelined in the party’s current power structure following the emergence of Bola Tinubu as president in 2023.

For others from opposition parties, the defections were linked to lingering leadership crises in their former parties and ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.