The Supreme Court has imposed a N5 million fine on Ambrose Owuru, a former presidential candidate, for filing frivolous and vexatious suits against President Bola Tinubu.
Owuru, who contested the 2019 presidential election under the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) against former President Muhammadu Buhari, was ordered to pay the fine after his latest suit seeking Tinubu’s removal as president was dismissed.
Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji, who issued the ruling, also ordered that the Supreme Court’s Registry should no longer accept any frivolous suit summons from Owuru.
During proceedings, Owuru, a self-claimed lawyer with over 40 years of practice, attempted to argue his case wearing his wig and gown, but was ordered to remove them before proceeding. Despite his insistence, the court rejected his explanations for filing yet another suit after having his previous cases dismissed three times.
The court expressed dissatisfaction with Owuru’s behavior, stating that it was unbecoming of a lawyer of his standing. Owuru was also threatened with referral to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for his persistent abuse of court processes.
President Tinubu’s counsel, Bode Olanipekun SAN, highlighted Owuru’s history of filing baseless cases, noting the incoherence of the new suit. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Taiwo Osipitan also affirmed that Owuru’s conduct would be reported to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
In a related matter, the Court of Appeal had previously imposed a N40 million fine on Owuru for filing frivolous suits against Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and others.
Owuru’s latest suit at the Supreme Court sought to disqualify Tinubu, accusing him of non-qualification to hold office and alleging he was under foreign control due to his alleged involvement with the CIA and the forfeiture of $460,000 to the U.S. over a drug trafficking-related offense. Owuru further sought to have himself declared Nigeria’s president, claiming his mandate had been usurped.
The court, however, dismissed his suit, emphasizing that such baseless litigation was a misuse of the judicial system.
