The Court of Appeal in Abuja has fined David Atita, counsel for the deregistered political party Liberation Movement, ₦1 million for wasting judicial time.
Liberation Movement had appealed against a Federal High Court ruling on 24 July 2020, which upheld the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to deregister it. INEC had cancelled the party’s registration, alongside others, for failing to meet constitutional requirements for election victories in the 2019 general elections as stipulated in Section 225(a) of the Nigerian Constitution.
Justice Okon Abang, delivering the unanimous judgement on Friday, dismissed the appeal as a frivolous academic exercise. The judge noted that the Supreme Court had already settled similar issues in a 2021 case involving the National Unity Party and INEC.
Justice Abang criticised Atita for refusing to withdraw the appeal despite being advised by INEC’s counsel. He ruled that the Liberation Movement failed to prove it met the constitutional requirements of Section 225(a) and agreed with the trial court’s interpretation and judgement.
The fine was imposed personally on Atita, underscoring the court’s frustration with what it deemed a wasteful and unnecessary legal pursuit.