The Supreme Court has levied a hefty N40 million fine on renowned human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome.
The penalty was imposed due to what the court deemed a “frivolous” motion he filed concerning the Imo governorship tussle that was resolved in 2019.
Justice Tijani Abubakar delivered the ruling, directing Ozekhome to pay the substantial fine to the four respondents named in the lawsuit he had initiated.
The Justice characterized the motion as “strange, frivolous, baseless, unwarranted, vexatious, and irritating,” suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to discredit the Supreme Court itself.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria with over 42 years of legal practice, Ozekhome’s motion aimed to re-validate the suit that led to the removal of Emeka Ihedioha as the Imo State governor in 2019.
He sought a consequential order compelling INEC to issue a new Certificate of Return to Ihedioha, contending that the incumbent, Hope Uzodinma, unlawfully occupied the position that Ihedioha should have held for a full four-year tenure.
The crux of Ozekhome’s argument was centered on the claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no legitimate candidate in the 2019 Imo governorship election, thereby asserting that Uzodinma shouldn’t have assumed the governorship under the APC’s banner.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed the motion on the grounds of lacking jurisdiction to entertain it, leading to the substantial fine imposed on Ozekhome for what the court deemed an unwarranted and baseless legal pursuit.
