The Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Ambrose Owuru, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), seeking the removal of President Bola Tinubu from office.
Owuru’s case alleged that President Tinubu was unfit for office due to links to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and a past drug-related forfeiture of $460,000 to the U.S. government.
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, unanimously ruled on Monday that the case was baseless and frivolous.
The court fined Ambrose Owuru ₦5 million and directed its registry to reject any future frivolous filings from him.
In the suit, Owuru argued that Tinubu’s alleged association with the CIA made him unsuitable for the presidency.
He also invoked Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution, asking the court to disqualify Tinubu and remove him from office for allegedly being under foreign influence.
Owuru’s political party, HDP, was de-registered by INEC, but he named former President Muhammadu Buhari, INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation as co-defendants in the case.
Appearing in court in his lawyer’s attire, Owuru represented himself, reiterating his claims that he won a “referendum” before the 2019 presidential election, supposedly securing over 50 million votes.
He alleged that Buhari manipulated the 2019 election results and hijacked his mandate, governing illegally for eight years.
Owuru also called for Tinubu’s removal, asserting that he should be declared the rightful president and sworn in immediately to reclaim what he termed his “stolen mandate.”
This case follows a similar decision by the Abuja Court of Appeal on May 25, 2023, where Owuru was fined ₦40 million for filing a frivolous suit to prevent Tinubu’s inauguration.
He had previously attempted to stop Buhari’s swearing-in after the 2019 election, citing claims of electoral manipulation by INEC.
The Supreme Court’s ruling brings an end to Owuru’s legal pursuit, with a clear warning against further baseless lawsuits.
KanyiDaily recalls that President Bola Tinubu recently faced legal scrutiny at the Supreme Court, accused of wrongfully inaugurating himself as President despite a pending legal action against the conduct of the 2023 presidential poll.