Justice Ngozika Nwabulu on Thursday awarded a cost of N250,000 each against five defendants in the suit instituted by Hon. Adamu Dattijo and another against Mallam Nasiru El-Rufia and four others.

Justice Nwabulu took the decision due to the defendants’ inability to file processes in response to the issues raised by the claimants in the suit.

The suit marked: FCT/HJ/GAR/CV/383/2025, has Hon. Adamu Ahmad Dattijo and Alhaji Suleiman Abdullahi as Claimants, while defendants include Malam Ahmed Nasiru El-Rufai, Jafaru Sani, Bashir Saidu, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The case, filed on September 9, 2025, seeks an order restraining the National Chairman of the ADC from recognising Malam Ahmed Nasiru El-Rufai, Jafaru Sani, and Bashir Saidu as members of the party.

At the day’s sitting, the 3rd to 5th defendants were represented by Barr. B.E. Eleng, while the 1st and 2nd defendants were not represented.
Counsel for the claimants, Taiwo Hassan, informed the court that their processes had been served on all the defendants, but no response had been received from any of them.

Hassan said such a development was an abuse of court process and the court should sanction the defendants.

Reacting, Eleng pleaded with the court to give them more time to file their processes, saying the witness who was supposed to depose to an affidavit was indisposed.

Objecting, Hassan said the defendants’ excuse was weak, untenable, and an abuse of the court process.

He noted that while the 3rd to 5th defendants were in court, the 1st and 2nd defendants were not even present.

Hassan, therefore, urged the court to award a cost of five hundred thousand naira(N500,000) each against the defendants.

Ruling, Justice Nwabulu awarded a cost of N250,000 each against the defendants to be paid before the next adjourned date.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 20, 2025, for continuation.