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Kenneth Atavti
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday awarded N100 million in costs against the National Welfare Secretary of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Nkemakolam Ukandu, for filing what it described as a frivolous suit against the court’s Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, and another judge of the court, Justice Peter Lifu respectively.
In a ruling on Monday, Justice Salim Ibrahim struck out the suit marked ABJ/CS/1165/2026 for want of diligent prosecution.
Ukandu had sued the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Judge of the FHC, and Justice Lifu, accusing them of bias and disobedience to the court’s order.
He, among others, prayed the court for an order compelling the NJC to investigate allegations of corruption, abuse of judicial powers and bias which he levelled against Justices Tsoho and Lifu.
Since the case was filed some months ago, the plaintiff and his lawyer have failed to attend court, a development that prompted Justice Ibrahim to threaten, on June 30, to dismiss the suit.
The plaintiff and his lawyer also failed to attend court on Monday, after which the judge struck out the suit and awarded N100m in costs, upon an oral application for costs by the defendant’s lawyer, James Igwe (SAN).
The court had last week, threatened to dismiss a suit filed against the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), John Tsoho, and Justice Peter Lifu over alleged bias and disobedience to a court order.
Justice Salim Ibrahim gave the warning following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Nkemakolam Ukandu, a chieftain of ADC, and his lawyer when the matter came up for mention.
The judge said the suit could be dismissed for want of diligent prosecution “if there is no representation” for the plaintiff at the next adjourned date.
Ukandu, the National Welfare Secretary of ADC, had sued the National Judicial Council (NJC), Tsoho, and Lifu, as the first to third defendants, respectively, over allegations bordering on corruption, abuse of judicial powers, and bias.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1165/2026, Ukandu is seeking an order compelling the NJC to investigate the allegations levelled against the two judicial officers.
When the matter was called last week, only counsel for Tsoho and Lifu was present in court, while neither the plaintiff nor the NJC was represented.
Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, had accused the Chief Judge and Lifu of manifest bias and acting in favour of certain interests against the party.
He faulted the reassignment of the case to Lifu after it was withdrawn from Justice Emeka Nwite, alleging that the action was contrary to the orders of the Supreme Court and Nwite.