Imo Election 2019: Supreme Court Fines Prominent Lawyer, Mike Ozekhome N40 Million

• The Supreme Court has imposed a fine of N40 million on senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mike Ozekhome
• The apex court said the fine was based a a frivolous motion filed by Ozekhome about the 2019 Imo governorship election
• Ozekhome was asked to pay the N40 million fine to the Action People’s Party (APP), Uche Nnadi, Uche Nwosu and INEC

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5-year-experience covering metro and government policy

FCT, Abuja - A senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mike Ozekhome, has been asked to pay the sum of N40 million for filing a frivolous, vexatious and irritating motion before the Supreme Court in respect of the 2019 Imo state governorship election.

The apex court gave the judgement over Ozekhome’s motion seeking to revalidate the suit that removed Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo State in 2019, TV News reported.

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Justice Tijani Abubakar, who gave the ruling said Ozekhome should pay the N40M fine to the four respondents he dragged before the Court.

Ozekhome is to pay the following persons:

• The Action People’s Party (APP)
• Uche Nnadi
• Uche Nwosu
• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ozekhome had asked the Court for a consequential order to compel INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Ihedioha for him to spend a four-year tenure as Imo Governor, The Punch reported.

According to Ozekhome, Hope Uzodinma ought not to have been made governor because the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no candidate in the 2019 Imo Governorship election

The prominent lawyer said Uzodinma unlawfully spent the four years that Ihedioha ought to spend.

Justice Abubakar held the request was strange, frivolous, baseless, unwarranted, vexatious and irritating.

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He further held that the motion was a calculated design to demonize the Supreme Court.

Kidnappers of Ozekhome sentenced to 20-year imprisonment

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Kelvin Ezeigbe and Frank Azuekor, two of the four suspects who kidnapped Ozekhome were sentenced to a 20-year jail term each.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, held that the sentence would run from the day of their arrest.

The judge, however, discharged and acquitted the two other suspects, Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna.

Civil society faults Ozekhome over his position on younger colleague

Ozekhome was criticised by a civil society organization, the Nigerian People's Congress.

The organisation faulted the reaction of the senior lawyer on the position of his younger colleague and constitutional lawyer, Kayode Ajulo on the interpretation of a section of the Nigerian Constitution.

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the group in a statement made available to Legit.ng through its spokesperson, Abdulrahman Sadiq, accused Ozekhome of misrepresenting the legal opinion of Ajulo on the interpretation of section 134(2) of the Constitution.

Source: Legit.ng