November 22 2023 NewsOrient
News Desk/Law & Society

Yesterday, Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal brought by one Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against Dr. Alex Otti and two others.

The apex court described the case as frivolous and of no substance and consequently awarded a cost of N5million against Ibrahim, who some observers believed to be a surrogate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Abia State, Okey Ahiwe.

According to the apex court, the award should be paid by the litigant, Haruna Ibrahim’s lawyer.

At the commencement of proceeding, the court asked the Appellant to address the court as to the substance of the appeal and the reliefs sought.

The court specifically inquired from him whether the appeal bothered on pre-election or post election matter.

However, the appellant’s counsel insisted that the appeal was an election related matter.

The appeal could not be heard at the instance of the appellant who apparently took the hint of the Court and withdrew the appeal as the court considered it as frivolous and of no substance.

The appeal was consequently dismissed after the court rebuked the lawyers to the Appellant and expressed disappointment at the SAN for allowing his junior to issue out this kind of appeal against the Respondents.

According to a statement signed by Kazie Uko, the Chief Press Secretary to Abia State Governor, the Lead Counsel to Governor Otti, Abiodun Owonikoko SAN, in his reaction to the ruling, appealed to the court that beyond the cost awarded, the apex court should make a consequential order barring impostors and political surrogates who have been flooding the court with frivolous appeal/application against Dr. Alex Otti, ever since he emerged as the Abia State governor.

It would be recalled that the apex court had three weeks ago thwarted another move by the PDP and Ahiwe to reverse the verdict of Abia people, using the courts.

Ahiwe, who lost the March 18, 2023 governorship election won by Labour Party’s Governor Otti, had filed a suit on October 30, 2023, seeking to be joined as an interested party in a controversial Federal High Court, Kano, judgment now discarded by the Appeal Court, Kano.

The Supreme Court described his application as a bubble and agreed with the lawyers to Dr. Otti that Ahiwe had slept over his right, if any.

The apex court then dismissed the appeal and awarded cost of N500,000 against Ahiwe.

NewsOrient