Court disappoints sacked Benue Assembly members

A High Court sitting in Makurdi has turned down attempts by the sacked principal officers of the Benue State House of Assembly to vacate the order restraining them from parading themselves as principal officers of the assembly.

The court, presided over by Justice Theresa Igoche, ruled that the order will remain in force until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The lead counsel to the impeached speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange and two others, Mamman Osuman, had prayed the court to vacate the interim order issued on July 27, insisting it was supposed to last for just seven days.

“The order was supposed to last for seven days, so it ought to have elapsed on Friday, August 3, in line with the provisions of Order 39 rule 3(3)of the Rules of the Court”, Osuman told the court.

The counsel to the new speaker, Mr. Titus Uba and 21 others, Sebastian Hon, however opposed Osuman’s oral application, arguing that the order was specific and dependent on the happening of an event, and until that event happens it could not be vacated.

Read also: Showdown! DSS blocks Nat’l Assembly

In her ruling, Justice Igoche held that “the order restraining the Speaker and two others from parading themselves as principal officers of the House would subsist pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

According to her, the inability to hear and determine the motion on notice was not due to the fault of the applicant.

The matter was adjourned to August 9.

It would be recalled that Justice Igoche had at the last sitting restrained the sacked speaker and two others from parading themselves as leaders of the House of Assembly.

She also ordered the suspension of the impeachment process initiated by them against the state governor, Samuel Ortom, while reinforcing the suspension order placed on eight members of the assembly by another court.

 

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