By Vivian Okejeme
Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Friday awarded N17 Million cost against three litigants and their lawyer for filing a frivolous suit seeking to stop the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This is coming hours after the Supreme Court dismissed another suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to void the candidacy of Tinubu and the Vice-president elect, Kashim Shettma.
The litigants, Praise Ilemona, Pastor Paul Issac Audu and Dr Anongu Moses jointly instituted the suit praying for an order to halt the Monday, May 29 swearing-in of Tinubu as new President.
Dismissing the suit, the court held that the suit was frivolous and an abuse of court process.
The Judge held that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to file the suit, adding that the court could not exercise jurisdiction to hear it because it relates to a presidential election.
The three litigants are to jointly pay the President elect a sum of N10M and another N5M to the All Progressives Congress APC who were part of the seven defendants in the suit.
The judgement held that an interest of 10 percentage be placed on the judgment debt per year until when finally liquidated
Meanwhile, counsel to the petitioners, Daniel Elomah who filed the suit was ordered to pay N1m to Tinubu and the APC each.
Elomah in his motion alleged that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu supplied false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about his age and citizenship status.
Elomah had pleaded with the court to pardon his clients and advised that the court should counsel them against embarking frivolous suits in future.
In his argument, counsel to Tinubu, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, had argued that the suit be dismissed on the ground that the three plaintiffs lacked locus standi to institute it
He submitted that none of the plaintiffs participated in the primary election that produced the President-elect but chose to harass, intimidate and irritate Tinubu through frivolous suits.
Fagbemi SAN further argued that the litigants engaged in gross abuse of court by their multiple cases against Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in various courts without any reasonable cause of action.
