Demands ₦10 million damages
Legal practitioner and Managing Partner of Princeston Law Firm, Prince Ezeabata Chibuzor, has instituted a suit against the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged negligence and failure to process a duly paid business registration upgrade.
The suit, filed under the court’s civil jurisdiction, challenges the conduct of the CAC in administering its electronic registration portal, which the plaintiff alleges malfunctioned despite accepting statutory payments.
According to the originating summons, Chibuzor is asking the court to determine whether the CAC is under a statutory duty to ensure that payments made through its online portal are properly processed, reflected, and acted upon within a reasonable time, in line with provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.
The plaintiff contends that after initiating the upgrade of a business name to a limited liability company and fulfilling all statutory requirements, including payment of prescribed fees, the process remained incomplete due to a malfunctioning portal. He argues that despite confirmation of payment through official channels, the CAC failed to acknowledge or act on the transaction.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Chibuzor stated that he made all required payments, including stamp duties processed via the government-approved Remita platform, and received confirmation that the funds were successfully transmitted to the relevant authorities. However, the CAC portal continued to reflect the transaction as incomplete, allegedly stating that no payment information was found.
The plaintiff further alleged that attempts to resolve the issue through administrative channels proved unsuccessful. He claimed that complaints lodged at the CAC office and through official communication platforms were either ignored or handled unprofessionally, including a response allegedly suggesting that he should “pay again.”
Chibuzor argued that the continued operation of a defective portal while accepting payments from the public amounts to negligence and a breach of statutory duty. He also raised concerns that the CAC failed to notify users of technical defects, suspend transactions, or provide alternative means of completing pending registrations.
The suit seeks several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a declaration that the CAC breached its statutory obligations under CAMA 2020, and an order compelling the commission to complete the registration process. In the alternative, the plaintiff is requesting a full refund of ₦23,678.25, being the total statutory fees paid, along with interest at the prevailing Central Bank rate.
Additionally, the plaintiff is asking the court to award ₦10 million in general damages for financial loss, business disruption, and professional embarrassment allegedly suffered as a result of the commission’s actions, as well as ₦2 million as the cost of the suit.
The plaintiff maintains that the CAC’s actions not only violate statutory provisions but also infringe on constitutional rights to fair hearing, property, and lawful administrative conduct.
The matter comes up for hearing, 1st June, 2026.
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