Abuja court throws out case against Ireti Kingibe’s suspension, fines plaintiffs N20m
Federal Court Dismisses Suit Against Suspended Senator Ireti Kingibe
ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit on Friday that sought to validate the indefinite suspension of Senator Ireti Kingibe by the Wuse Ward chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In his ruling, Justice Peter Lifu stated that disciplinary matters within political parties are internal affairs that do not warrant judicial intervention. He questioned the rationale behind party officials seeking court approval for an action they had initiated.
“It should be the senator, not the party executives, who approaches the court if she considers the suspension unjust,” Justice Lifu noted. He characterized the plaintiffs’ request for judicial backing as indicative of their lack of confidence in the suspension process itself, ultimately deeming the suit frivolous, baseless, and unfounded.
The court awarded N10 million in costs against the plaintiffs in favor of Senator Kingibe, referencing Sections 82 and 83 of the Electoral Act. An additional N10 million was imposed on the plaintiffs’ counsel for what Justice Lifu described as a frivolous case, with the sum also payable to Kingibe.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Kingibe was suspended on March 10 by the ADC’s Wuse Ward executives, who accused her of anti-party activities and violating the party’s constitution. The suspension was reportedly endorsed by two-thirds of the ward executives.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/539/2026, was filed by Okezuo Kanayo and Isaiah Samuel on behalf of themselves and other ward members, naming Kingibe as the sole defendant. Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kolawole Olowookere represented the plaintiffs, seeking an interim injunction to prevent Kingibe from presenting herself as an ADC member during her suspension, attending party meetings, or engaging in party functions.
The plaintiffs argued that the suspension was due to alleged anti-party conduct, gross misconduct, and the confiscation of ward documents, asserting that due process was followed in accordance with the ADC constitution.
Kingibe’s defense counsel, Marshal Abubakar, contended that the issue pertained solely to the internal affairs of the party. He urged the court to dismiss the suit and sought punitive costs, asserting that established procedures for resolving such disputes had not been followed.
Abubakar emphasized that the plaintiffs, who had allegedly been suspended from the party themselves, lacked the legal standing to initiate the suit. He called for the case to be dismissed entirely, seeking N25 million in punitive damages against the plaintiffs.
Conversely, plaintiffs’ counsel I.G. Ogugua argued that breaches of the party constitution nullified the sanctity of internal affairs.
Senator Kingibe, who was elected to the Senate in 2023 under the Labour Party’s platform, switched to the ADC last year. Her defection is part of a broader trend among politicians leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress and other opposition parties amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
