Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the African Democratic Congress, ADC, leaders’ bid in Wuse Ward of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to bar Senator Ireti Kingibe from all party activities following her alleged suspension.
Instead, the judge directed the ward leaders, who are known to be loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to serve the senator with a notice to appear in court to discuss their grievances.
In a verdict issued on Thursday, Justice Lifu stated that discretion in a request for restriction from party activities and political concerns must be exercised judicially and wisely.
The judge stated that justice would be served in the plaintiffs’ case only if the defendant’s side was heard on its own merits, alongside the plaintiffs’.
As a result, the judge ordered that Senator Ireti Kingibe be served with all court documents by the plaintiffs so that she could become aware of the matter and prepare her defence.
The plaintiffs and the serving senator were scheduled to appear before the judge on April 20, 2026, for a hearing on all applications in the matter.
Okezuo Godfrey Anayo and Isaiah Ojonugwa Samuel filed the lawsuit against the senator in FHC/ABJ/CV/539/2026 on behalf of themselves and ward members. The senator is the only defendant.
According to their ex-parte application, Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate, was suspended by her Wuse Ward executives on March 10, 2026, due to claims of anti-party activity and disdain for the ADC’s constitution.
In an ex parte application filed on their behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Kolawole Olowookere, the aggrieved ADC members in Wuse Ward sought an order of interim injunction prohibiting Kingibe from representing herself as a member of the party, pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
They also requested that the judge prohibit the senator from performing any function, attending meetings or participating in activities reserved for ADC members, or representing the party in any activities.
Furthermore, the Ward Executive Committee requested that she refrain from further interfering with the administration of the ward, the ward register, and other activities.
The complaint was based on five reasons, including Mrs Kingibe’s suspension for anti-party activities, severe misconduct, and the theft of the ward statutory documents.
They said that the suspension followed legal process as outlined in the ADC constitution and approved by a two-thirds majority of EXCO members.
They claimed that, after being informed of the suspension, Kingibe continued to organise parallel meetings, publish public statements as an ADC member, and use her security details to threaten the executive committee.
“Her actions constitute flagrant disregard to the internal mechanism of the party,” the plaintiffs alleged.
Meanwhile, a lawyer named Abubakar Marshall, who claimed to represent the senator, declared that he had filed a preliminary objection to the complaint. He added that it was served on M. S. Garba, who represented the plaintiffs in Thursday’s sessions.