Supreme Court Fines Smart Adeyemi N2m Over Appeal On Kogi APC Primaries

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Smart Adeyemi against the judgments of the two lower courts on the All Progressives Congress’ primary election which held in Kogi State on April 15, 2023.

In a unanimous judgment, the court held that the appeal lacked merit, having failed to challenge the concurrent findings of both the High and Appeal Courts or demonstrate that same were perverse.

The apex court also held that the two issues raised in Senator Adeyemi’s brief were unreasonable, vexatious, and against the provisions of Sections 132 and 133(1) of the Evidence Act 2011.

The apex court in the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim imposed a fine of N2 million on Adeyemi for filing what it described as a frivolous and vexatious suit.

Justice Agim held that the case of the appellant was completely bereft of merit.

Senator Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the primary election of the APC which produced Usman Ododo as the party’s flag bearer for the state’s governorship election slated for November 11.

The case was dismissed by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal for lacking in merit.

The court also described as contemptuous, the practice of parties appearing on TV stations to discuss pending appeals.