Breaking: Court Slams Fresh Fine on ADC, Aregbesola, Gives Reason
- Federal High Court Justice Peter Lifu has fined the ADC and Rauf Aregbesola ₦500,000 for a baseless recusal application
- The court said it found no merit in the ADC's claims of bias against Justice Lifu amid heightened political tension
- The development led to mixed reactions online after Atiku Abubakar's media adviser criticised the ruling and the judge's impartiality
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has slammed a ₦500,000 fine on the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its national secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, over an application they filed to seek the withdrawal of the judge in a suit.
In a separate motion, the ADC and Aregbesola are asking the judge to recuse himself from a suit filed by a factional leader of the party, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, alleging that Justice Lifu was showing bias in the matter.
Source: Twitter
While delivering his judgment on Tuesday, June 16, the judge held that the motion lacked merit and credible evidence, adding that it was filed to frustrate the order of the Supreme Court that the hearing of the case should be accelerated.
According to the judge, the reasons the ADC and Aregbesola presented in their affidavits were extraneous. He explained that the court had painstakingly considered all three processes of the parties, and with their affidavit evidence, there is no iota of bias in the claim.
Atiku reacts as court fines ADC, Aregbesola
Reacting to the development, Paul Ibe, the media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the ADC in the 2027 elections, condemned the court over the directive and took a swipe at the judge.
Mixed reactions trail Atiku's response to court fine against ADC
His comment has started generating mixed reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
M. C Ugwummadu Esq backed Ibe's statement:
"Asking a judge to recuse himself from a case when there's obvious likelihood of bias is a right. Even laymen knows it's an innocuous application. If the judge is not truly biased, why imposing cost on ADC secretary? A man that fiddles with the judiciary is not fit to lead."
Source: Twitter
Eustaceezenna accused the judge of working for a politician:
"I'm quite surprised that you guys are yet to know that Justice Peter Lifu is being teleguided by Wike; he is a Wike man. Just take a cursory look at the kind of judgments he has passed since being promoted to the FHC."
Dafe Ofuyah said the judge should be reported to the NJC:
"ADC must report judge Lifu to the NJC now. If not, he do everything bizarre judicially to emasculate ADC because he has fortifier that embolden him. ADC you must be strong to be up fighting till the end, no surrender no retreat."
Ahbey Sam criticised Ibe and the ADC:
"How convenient for you to label the FHC judge bias while the AC judge not bias, because the AC judgement favors your position. The truth is that y’all are dishonest with yourself."
Read the full statement from Atiku's spokesperson on X here:
Atiku picks Amaechi as running mate
Legit.ng earlier reported that the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar, picked Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate ahead of the poll.
Amaechi, a former minister of transportation who ran against Atiku in the ADC presidential primary, recently rejected the slot of the VP.
Following the outcome of the primary, Atiku and Amaechi visited each other in a bid to work together ahead of the poll.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
