A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja imposes a fine of N1 million on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, after rejecting their bid to have the judge withdraw from a party leadership dispute in Gombe. According to reports, the court rules that the application for recusal lacks merit. The judge also holds that the applicants do not provide credible evidence of bias, and that the request does not justify withdrawal. Premium Times reports that the judge characterizes the application as containing no substantiated basis for alleging bias and notes it would not frustrate a Supreme Court order directing the matter to proceed with an accelerated hearing.
Vanguard reports the court’s decision and states that the fine is imposed specifically in connection with the recusal application. Both outlets describe the same outcome: the request for the judge’s withdrawal is dismissed and the applicants are penalised financially.
