Court Fines ADC and Aregbesola N1m Over Judge Removal Bid

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Rauf Aregbesola to pay a total of N1 million for their unsuccessful attempt to remove Justice Peter Lifu from a leadership dispute involving the party. The court dismissed their application on Tuesday, stating it lacked merit and failed to establish any evidence of judicial bias.

Justice Lifu awarded N500,000 against ADC and N500,000 against Aregbesola, emphasizing that allegations made against the court were unfounded and appeared aimed at delaying the proceedings. He condemned the attempt to intimidate the court and insisted on the independence of the judiciary.

The court also addressed a separate case regarding the ADC's deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which affects the party's legal standing. The case has been adjourned until June 23 to hear pending applications related to the ADC's leadership and membership disputes.