Court Dismisses Case Against Ireti Kingibe's Suspension

The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a lawsuit challenging the suspension of Ireti Kingibe from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on March 10, 2023. Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the suspension was a disciplinary matter strictly within the internal affairs of the party, which does not warrant judicial intervention.

The plaintiffs, Okezuo Kanayo and Isaiah Samuel, sought an interim injunction to prevent Kingibe from representing the ADC and attending party meetings, claiming her suspension was unfair. However, Justice Lifu described the suit as frivolous and baseless, awarding N10 million in costs against the plaintiffs and an additional N10 million as a penalty for filing the suit.

The court noted that the plaintiffs failed to follow proper procedures and lacked legal standing. Kingibe's suspension was endorsed by two-thirds of the ward executives due to alleged anti-party activities, and she was accused of holding parallel meetings and making statements to intimidate ward executives.