A Federal High Court in Abuja has turned down a request to stop Ireti Kingibe from taking part in the activities of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after she was said to have been suspended.
Peter Lifu, who was in charge of the case, said that the request could not be granted until the senator had a chance to answer to the claims made against her.
Instead, the court told the plaintiffs, who were ward leaders from Wuse in the Federal Capital Territory, to formally serve Kingibe with all the necessary court papers, letting her know about the litigation and making her go to court.
Justice Lifu said that judges should use their discretion fairly and in accordance with due process, even when it comes to politically sensitive issues. He said that justice can only be done when everyone has a chance to speak about the case’s merits.
The matter was then put off until April 20, 2026, so that all pending applications may be heard.
Okezuo Godfrey Anayo and Isaiah Ojonugwa Samuel filed the claim, which is known as FHC/ABJ/CV/539/2026. Senator Kingibe is the only defendant.
Claims and Allegations
The plaintiffs said in their ex-parte motion that the senator, who represents the FCT, was suspended on March 10, 2026, by Wuse Ward leaders because they thought he was doing things that were bad for the party, breaking the law, and taking ward records.
They maintained that the suspension followed due process in line with the ADC constitution and was ratified by a two-thirds majority of the ward executive committee.
Even after he was suspended, the plaintiffs said that Kingibe nevertheless acted like a member of the party by having parallel meetings, making remarks, and reportedly utilizing security people to scare ward officials.
They said that these kinds of actions hurt the party’s internal structure and show a lack of respect for its rules.
Kolawole Olowookere, SAN, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, had asked the court to issue temporary injunction stopping the senator from acting like an ADC member or becoming involved in party matters until the case was decided.
But Abubakar Marshall, who is said to be Kingibe’s lawyer, told the court that a preliminary objection had been lodged against the complaint. He said that the plaintiffs’ lawyer had already been given the objection during the hearings.
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