Magnus Eze, Enugu
A landlord, Mr. Victor Kanaychukwu Ani, has sued the Udi Local Government Area of Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the failure to pay over two years rent.
The case with suit No. MUD\85\2019 was filed at the Magistrate Court 2, Udi, presided by Ngozi Oruraa, yesterday, by the landlord’s lawyer, Emeka Okologbu-Njoku. He alleged that the party owed the plaintiff two years arrears of rent “from December 2018 to August 2019.”
According to the suit, the debt was incurred for an office space apartment let out to the APC by Mr. Ani for the purposes of running the Udi LGA secretariat situated at Old Nsukka road, Ngwo.
Udi LGA is considered the ‘heartbeat’ of APC in Enugu and boasts of the party’s chieftains, like Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Emma Enukwu; Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu; ex-governor Sullivan Chime, and a Presidential aide, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu.
A copy of the suit and summons has the Udi Chapter Chairman, Mr. Jude Anyadibe as defendant. It indicates that the office space was let out to the party at the cost of N35,000 per month, amounting to N420,000 yearly, and bringing the debt to N840,000 for the two years.
The plaintiff, in the suit, stated that he had earlier handed down a quit notice to the APC, adding that following the defendant’s refusal to obey the quit notice he had no option than to approach the court with a view to taking possession of his property.
When contacted, Chairman of the party in Udi, Mr. Anyadibe, declined comment, just as efforts to speak with the Enugu West senatorial district Vice Chairman of the party, Ik Omenkeuku were fruitless.