The Supreme Court has fined a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, N40 million for filing what the apex court viewed as a frivolous and vexatious motion.
Ozekhome, counsel for Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, had filed the motion concerning the 2019 Imo State governorship election.
The Supreme Court dismissed Iheodioha’s application seeking to remove Hope Uzodimma from office as Imo State governor.
The applicant prayed the court to give a consequential order to the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate of return to Ihedioha as the validly elected governor of state in the 2019 election.
Reading the lead judgment on Tuesday, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, held that the application lacked merit, and was frivolous and vexatious.
He said the court lacked jurisdiction to determine the matter, adding that the 60 days stipulated to hear the election matter had since elapsed.
Abubakar subsequently fined Ozekhome N40m.
He was asked to pay the N40m fine to the four respondents he dragged before the court.
Those to be paid are the Action Peoples Party, Uche Nnadi, Uche Nwosu and INEC.
The SAN had asked the court for a consequential order to compel INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Ihedioha to enable him to spend a four-year tenure as the Imo State governor.
Ozekhome’s motion claimed that the All Progressives Congress had no candidate in the 2019 Imo governorship election, hence, Hope Uzodimma ought not to have been made governor on the platform of APC.
