The Supreme Court Monday in Abuja awarded N8 million as cost against Dr. Dickson Osuala, counsel to Chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic Peoples Party, for what it termed as an abuse of the process of the apex court.
To benefit from the N8 million are Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Governor of Delta State; the Peoples Democratic Party; the Independent National Electoral Commission; and Attorney General of the Federation, who are to get N2 million each.
The Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling delivered by seven Justices, said the case instituted by Osuala on behalf of Ogboru amounted to an affront on the nation’s judiciary as well as an abuse of the court process.
“The said N8 million is awarded as cost against the person of Dr. Dickson Osuala and is to be paid from his pocket to the respondents,” said the apex court in a landmark ruling on Monday.
Ogboru, through his counsel, had unsuccessfully tried to get the Supreme Court to reopen his case challenging the election of Dr. Uduaghan as governor in the 2011 gubernatorial election in the state.
It is the third time the DPP standard bearer will be making such a move.
But the Supreme Court panel, presided over by Justice Walter Onoghene, blamed Dr. Osuala for not advising his client rightly and embarking on a clear case of gross abuse of the court process.
The N8 million slammed on Dr. Osuala is for the said abuse and a deterrent to others who may attempt a similar move in future.
The justices further noted that Ogboru through his counsel wanted to resurrect a dead and buried horse and warned that this would be the last time such a case should brought before the court.
In a reaction at the end of the hearing, Dr. Uduaghan, through the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, said the case and all such divisive battles were of God to deal with accordingly.
Uduaghan said Monday’s ruling was a vindication that no man can fight God, hoping that Ogboru and his ilk would have learnt a lesson and allow the state to move forward.
“Our case has always been in the hands of God. And like we said, God’s Case has no appeal. That’s what the Supreme Court has affirmed today and we hope Ogboru and his people would have learnt a lesson and realised that it is time to allow the state to move forward,” he stated.