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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Revisiting the Outrageous N150m Fine Against PDP BoT

From ThisDay · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A Nigerian court awarded N150 million in fines against the Peoples Democratic Party's Board of Trustees for filing a frivolous lawsuit.
  • The suit sought to compel INEC to recognize a PDP interim faction, but the judge dismissed it as an abuse of court process.
  • Critics argue the hefty fine could deter citizens from accessing justice, raising constitutional questions about affordability and intimidation.

A Nigerian Federal High Court's decision to impose a N150 million fine on the Peoples Democratic Party's Board of Trustees is sparking debate about access to justice. The court awarded the substantial sum, plus N10 million in personal costs against their lawyer, for filing a frivolous suit deemed an abuse of court process.

The judgment of Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja awarding a whopping N140 million against the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and an additional N10 million personal cost against their counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), is still eliciting reactions about three weeks after it was delivered.

— ThisDayIntroduction of the court's decision and the fines imposed.

The Wabara-led BoT had asked the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize a PDP interim National Working Committee faction. However, the judge dismissed the case as unmeritorious.

The judge awarded the fine after dismissing the leadership tussle suit for being “an abuse of court process, unmeritorious and lacking in merit.”

— Justice Salim IbrahimReason for dismissing the PDP's lawsuit and imposing the fine.

Despite the court's ruling, some argue the Supreme Court's previous judgment on the party's crisis was vague, necessitating the suit for clarity. They expressed alarm at the magnitude of the fine, suggesting it could make justice a privilege for the wealthy and well-connected.

Many feel that if the Supreme Court judgment had resolved the crisis in the party, the suit would not have been filed. They posited that it was vague and incongruous by the apex court that necessitated the suit for proper clarity.

— Unspecified criticsArguments suggesting the necessity of the lawsuit despite the Supreme Court's ruling.

Concerns are mounting that such large financial penalties could intimidate citizens, civil society groups, and political parties from approaching the courts. Critics warn that if unsuccessful lawsuits risk crippling financial liabilities, the constitutional guarantee of access to justice is severely threatened.

They expressed profound alarm and strong condemnation over the High Court’s decision to impose a whopping N150 million costs against the faction.

— Unspecified criticsReaction to the magnitude of the fine.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ThisDay. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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