Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has thrown out a lawsuit by the Registered Trustees of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA) against the Lagos State Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police, labeling it an abuse of court process.
The trustees, represented by A. Yekeen, sought declarations that the Lagos government lacked authority under the 1999 Constitution and CAMA 2020 to interfere in the association’s management or dissolve its executive based on police advice.
Counsel for the Attorney-General, E. O. Akande, and the IGP’s representative, Morufu Animashaun, urged dismissal, citing prior cases on the same leadership dispute: LD/2588/GCM/2018, CA/L/1513/2018, FHC/L/CS/672/2020, FHC/L/CS/1548/2021, and a pending Supreme Court matter. They argued the suit was repetitive and vexatious.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa agreed, noting the core issue—ASPMDA’s leadership tussle—had been litigated before among association members. He ruled that relitigating settled matters constitutes abuse, dismissing the case and awarding N200,000 costs against the trustees, split between the defendants.
