By Muhammed Abubakar,Reporting
THE Supreme Court of Nigeria has fined ace lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome N40 million for approaching the court with “frivolous, vexatious and irritating motion,” against Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.
The fine was slammed on the prominent lawyer on Tuesday over the 2019 Imo State governorship case of 2019 in which the victory of Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was upturned by the apex court.
Justice Tijani Abubakar ordered the lawyer to personally pay the N40m fine to four respondents he dragged before the court in the motion seeking to revalidate the suit that removed Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo State in 2019.
Ozekhome had argued that the incumbent Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, had unlawfully spent the four years which Mr Ihedioha ought to have spent.
Those to enjoy the fine include Action People’s Party (APP), Uche Nnadi, Uche Nwosu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Supreme Court had, earlier on Tuesday, dismissed a suit filed by Emeka Ihedioha PDP, seeking to be issued a certificate of return as the rightful governor of Imo State.
Ihedioha had claimed that the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma wasn’t qualified to run, in the first place.
Ihedioha and Uzodinma had contested against each other in the governorship election held in 2019, but the former was declared winner by INEC while the former came a distance third.
But the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, declared Uzodinma, who came third, as the authentic winner of the election.
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