The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, shifted the hearing of a suit seeking to stop Sen. Ireti Kingibe from parading herself as member of African Democratic Congress (ADC) till June 9, 2026 for hearing.
Justice Peter Lifu fixed the date, following an application for adjournment by counsel for the plaintiffs, I. G. Ogugwa, who said the matter was not a pre-election case shortly when it was called for hearing.
It would be recalled that, Justice Lifu had, on April 2, refused to grant an application seeking an interim order restraining Sen. Kingibe from parading herself as member of ADC.
The judge, in a ruling, rather ordered the plaintiffs in the suit to put Kingibe, who is currently representing the FCT at the Senate, on notice to show cause why the reliefs sought should not be granted and then adjourned the matter till April 20 for hearing of all pending applications, including a preliminary objection filed by counsel to the lawmaker, Marshall Abubakar.
Two executive members of ADC, Mr Okezuo Kanayo, Chairman of ADC, Wuse Ward, and his Secretary, Mr Isaiah Sameul, had filed the ex-parte motion through their lawyer, Kolawole Olowookere, SAN with
Mrs Kingibe as the sole defendant.
In the motion, filed on March 17, the plaintiffs sought three reliefs, including an order of interim injunction restraining Kingibe from performing any functions or participating in any activities reserved for ADC’s members in any capacity, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
in their seven grounds of argument, their lawyer submitted that Kingibe, though a sitting Senator, is first a member of ADC and is bound by the party’s constitution.
He said, following substantiated allegations of anti-party activities, gross misconduct, and the physical confiscation of the ward’s statutory records, the Wuse Ward Executive Committee, on March 10 suspended her.
According to Olowookere, the suspension followed due process as enshrined in the ADC Constitution and was ratified by a two-thirds majority of the executive committee.
The lawyer said, despite the communication of the suspension, Kingibe had continued to hold parallel meetings, issue press statements as an ADC member.
He alleged that the Senator also utilised her security detail to intimidate the ward executives, thereby creating a state of anarchy.
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