* Deprecates attempt to arrest court judgment
In a ruling that underscores the judiciary’s intolerance for procedural ambushes and attempts to frustrate the administration of justice, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has imposed a punitive cost of N6 million on an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary aspirant in Ekiti State, Mrs. Abimbola Olajumoke Olawunmi, for what the court described as a clear attempt to arrest a judgment that had already been reserved for delivery.
The decision, delivered by Justice Okon Abang in a unanimous ruling of the appellate court, reaffirmed the principle that litigation must come to an end and that courts will not permit parties to undermine the judicial process through last-minute procedural manoeuvres after a matter has been fully heard and reserved for judgment.
The appeal arises from the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on April 15, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2221/2025, which dismissed Mrs. Olawunmi’s challenge to her disqualification from the APC governorship nomination process.
The respondents in the appeal are the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
