Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the bid of the leaders of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Wuse Ward of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to bar Senator Ireti Kingibe from participating in all activities of the party following her alleged suspension from the party.
Instead, the judge ordered the ward leaders said to be loyal
to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to put the senator on notice to appear
in court to join issues with them on their grievances.
Justice Lifu in a ruling on Thursday held that discretion in
such a request for prohibition from party activities and in political matters
must be exercised judicially and judiciously.
The judge said justice would be met in the case of the
plaintiffs only when the side of the defendant is heard on its merit, along
with that of the plaintiffs.
Consequently, the judge ordered that Senator Ireti Kingibe
should be served with all court processes by the plaintiffs to enable her
become aware of the suit and to prepare her defense.
The judge fixed April 20, 2026, for the plaintiffs and the
serving senator to appear before him for hearing of all applications in the
matter.
Those who sued the senator in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/
CV/539/2026 are Okezuo Godfrey Anayo and Isaiah Ojonugwa Samuel, on behalf of
themselves and ward members as plaintiffs. The senator is the sole defendant.
In their ex-parte application, Kingibe representing the FCT
in the Senate was said to have been suspended on March 10, 2026 by her Wuse
Ward executives following allegations of anti-party activities and disregard of
your cnstitution of the ADC.
In the ex- parte application filed on their behalf by a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Kolawole Olowookere, the aggrieved ADC members
in Wuse Ward applied for an order of interim injunction restraining Kingibe
from parading herself as a member of party, pending the hearing and
determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
They also asked the judge to restrain the senator from
performing any function, attending meetings or performing activities reserved
for ADC members or representing the party in any activities.
Besides, the Ward Executive Committee had asked that she be
restrained from further interfering with the administration of the ward, ward
register and other activities.
The suit was predicated on five grounds among which are that
Mrs Kingibe was placed on suspension due to anti-party activities, gross
misconduct and confiscation of the ward statutory records.
They argued that the suspension followed due process as
enshrined in the ADC constitution and ratified by the two thirds majority of
the EXCO members.
They averred that despite the communication of the
suspension to Kingibe, she has continued to hold parallel meetings, issue press
statements as an ADC member, and using her security details to intimidate the
executive committee.
“Her actions constitute flagrant disregard to the internal
mechanism of the party,” the plaintiffs stated.
Meanwhile, a lawyer, Abubakar Marshall who claimed to be
representing the senator, announced that he had filed a preliminary objection
against the suit. He added that it was served on M. S. Garba, who stood for the
plaintiffs at Thursday’s proceedings.
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