From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A Makurdi High Court presided over by Justice M M Odinya has granted an interim injunction restraining the All Progressives Congress APC from holding Local Government congresses in Gwer East local government area of Benue State scheduled to hold this Saturday pending the determination of the originating summons.
It would be recalled that some elders and stakeholders of the APC, in Gwer-East Local Government Area had complained about the failure of the Party to conduct ward congresses in 12 out of the 14 Council Wards of the local government.
The stakeholders had, in a petition to the Appeal Panel set up by the national secretariat of the Party and made available to newsmen two weeks ago complained that through the machination of some interested aspirants, congress did not hold in most of the council wards because electoral materials arrived late or did not arrive at all.
The elders had this approached the court and joined the state APC Chairman, Abba Yaro, the Chairman, APC Gwer East LGA,
Terfa Ikyerave and one other in the suit.
The aggrieved elders of the Party, through their counsel, T.S Yogbo and Vanen Antom, in an exparte dated 31/8/2021 and filed on 1/9/2021had stated that the congresses in 12 out of the 14 council wards of Gwer East LGA could not hold because they were marred by violence and diversion of election materials.
The elders also disclosed that in line with the Party’s guidelines, they filed an appeal at the party’s Appeal Committee but that the Appeal committee was yet to determine their petition and has gone ahead to fix Local Government Congresses for 4/9/2021.
In their application which was brought under Order 39 Rules (1) and (2) and Order 44 Rule 4 High Court of Benue State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2007, the applicants prayed the Court to urgently grant their application otherwise congresses would be held and they would be authomatically excluded.
In her ruling, Justice Orinya while granting the applicants’ prayers, further ordered that the Respondents be put on notice to enable court hear both parties as it relate Relief 1.