A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Abayomi Arabambi, has instituted a lawsuit against the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) at the Federal High Court in Abuja over its refusal to release the Certified True Copy (CTC) of asset declaration forms submitted by former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2504/2026, was officially filed on October 15, 2026, at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Notice of the legal action was served to the respondents and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, a Labour Party chieftain and registered voter in Ogun State, instituted the legal action as the sole plaintiff in the matter. The lawsuit joins four key state institutions and public officers as respondents: the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The legal battle stems from repeated attempts by Arabambi under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to inspect documents covering Peter Obi’s tenure as Governor of Anambra State between March 17, 2006, and March 17, 2014. The sequence of events leading to the court case began on August 31, 2026, when Arabambi submitted an initial formal request to the CCB seeking certified copies of Obi’s asset and liability declarations.
Response to the query came on September 17, 2026, when the CCB issued a written refusal letter, which was subsequently received by Arabambi’s legal counsel on September 25, 2026. Undeterred by the denial, the plaintiff sent a follow-up request letter on October 8, 2026, reiterating the demand for public disclosure, before ultimately filing suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2504/2026 at the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 15, 2026.
In the originating motion, Arabambi’s legal counsel prays the court for two primary reliefs. First, the plaintiff seeks a formal declaration that the reasons provided by the CCB in its September 17 letter denying access to the documents are unlawful, invalid, and contrary to the provisions of both the FOI Act 2011 and the 1999 Constitution. Second, the suit seeks an order of mandamus compelling the CCB and its Chairman to immediately release and grant access to the Certified True Copies of all asset declaration forms submitted by Peter Obi for the specified periods outlined in the August 31 and October 8 applications.
As of Sunday evening, November 1, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja had yet to assign a presiding judge or fix a specific date for the commencement of hearing. Neither the CCB nor official spokespersons for Peter Obi have issued formal statements regarding the pending motion.
