Justice Peter Lifu, in the ruling held that disciplinary measures, suspensions, and leadership disputes within political parties remain internal matters best resolved through the parties’ constitutional structures, not judicial intervention.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday delivered a firm rebuke while striking out a suit that attempted to bar Senator Ireti Kingibe from participating in the activities of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and imposing a total of N20 million in punitive costs against the plaintiffs and their counsel.

Justice Peter Lifu, in the ruling held that disciplinary measures, suspensions, and leadership disputes within political parties remain internal matters best resolved through the parties’ constitutional structures, not judicial intervention.

Senator Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the Senate on the platform of the ADC, had been accused by Wuse Ward executives of anti-party activities, leading to her alleged suspension on March 10, 2026.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CV/539/2026, was filed by Okezuo Godfrey Anayo and Isaiah Ojonugwa Samuel on behalf of themselves and other party members, with the senator named as the sole defendant.

Their counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kolawole Olowookere, had asked the court for an interim injunction restraining Senator Kingibe from holding herself out as an ADC member, participating in party meetings, performing party functions, or representing the party in any capacity pending the determination of the substantive motion.

They argued that her suspension was rooted in allegations of anti-party conduct, gross misconduct, and alleged confiscation of ward documents, insisting that the “suspension followed due process as enshrined in the ADC constitution and ratified by the two thirds majority of the Exco members”.

“Despite the communication of the suspension to her, she has continued to hold parallel meetings, issues press statements as ADC members and using her security details to intimidate the Executive Committee,” the plaintiffs claimed.

“Her actions constitute flagrant disregard to the internal mechanism of the party.”

But Justice Lifu took a critical view of the action, questioning the legal coherence of the suit and why those who initiated the suspension were seeking judicial validation of their own decision.

The court held that it was the senator, being the aggrieved party, who ought to have approached the court if she wished to challenge the disciplinary action, adding that the plaintiffs had effectively invited the court to endorse a dispute that was not ripe for adjudication.

Describing the suit as “frivolous, baseless, and unfounded,” Justice Lifu dismissed it and invoked Sections 82 and 83 of the Electoral Act in awarding punitive costs.

In a decisive conclusion that further reinforced the court’s displeasure, Justice Lifu ordered the plaintiffs to pay N10 million to Senator Kingibe as compensation for instituting what he considered an abuse of judicial process.

The court also imposed an additional N10 million cost against their lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kolawole Olowookere, bringing the total financial penalty to N20 million in favour of the senator.