Court dismisses suit to uphold Ireti Kingibe’s suspension, awards her N20m

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the suit seeking to validate the suspension of Senator Ireti Kingibe from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), awarding her N20 million in punitive costs against the plaintiffs.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, the court flatly refused to bar Senator Kingibe from participating in ADC party activities nor order her to stop parading herself as a member.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/539/2026, was brought by two members of the party, Okezuo Godfrey Anayo and Isaiah Ojonugwa Samuel, who told the court that they instituted the action on behalf of the ADC Ward Executive Committee in the FCT.

According to the plaintiffs, Senator Kingibe was suspended on March 10 by the Wuse Ward for sundry offences that included insubordination.

They told the court that the lawmaker’s suspension was ratified by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee in the general meeting of the party.

“The suspension was duly communicated to the defendant and relevant party organs.

“Despite the said suspension, the defendant continues to parade herself as a card-carrying member of the ADC.

“The plaintiffs are concerned that the defendant may continue to present and hold herself out publicly as a member of the party unless restrained by an order of this honourable court,” one of the plaintiffs, Samuel, averred in an affidavit in support of the suit.

Among other reliefs, they prayed the court to declare that the suspension of the defendant by the Wuse Ward Executive Committee of the ADC was valid and subsisting.

As well as: “A declaration that the defendant cannot lawfully parade and should not parade herself as a member or card-carrying member of the ADC during the subsistence of the said suspension.

“A declaration that the National Working Committee of the ADC cannot and should not lawfully recognize the defendant as a member of the party at any level during the subsistence of her suspension.

“A declaration of the court affirming and validating the suspension of the defendant by the Wuse Ward Executive Committee of the plaintiffs.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from parading herself as a member of the ADC pending the determination of her disciplinary status within the party.”

Delivering judgment in the case on Friday, Justice Lifu dismissed the suit and awarded costs of N20 million against the plaintiffs and in favour of the defendant.

Justice Lifu held that the substance of the case bordered on an intra-party dispute over which the court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain.