Court Restrains New Benue Speaker, Others from Parading Themselves as Principal Officers

From George Okoh in Makurdi

The leadership crisis rocking the Benue State House of Assembly deepened on Monday as a Makurdi High Court presided over by Justice Theresa Igoche restrained the new speaker Mr. Titus Uba from sitting and carrying out any function of a presiding officer.

Also restrained are Hon. Johnson Ahubi, Hon. Avine Agbom, Hon. Audu Sule, Hon. Kester Kyenge and Dr. Torese Agena who are Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Clerk of the House respectively.

Justice Igoche who gave the
restraining order while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by the impeached speaker Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange and four others in a suit against Mr. Uba and five others on Monday also restrained them from conducting the sitting and carrying any function(s) of the Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The Makurdi High Court also restrained Hon. Uba and his leadership from entering and/or further entry and occupying the offices the 1st to 5th plaintiff/applicants as well as further entry into the offices of 1st to 4th plaintiff in the Assembly Complex.

“Upon hearing from Chief M. M. Osuman SAN, for the applicants, the Court held as follows: I have read the motion No. MHC/1694m/18 filed on 10 August, 2018, together with the other process that accompanied it. Particularly, I have looked at paragraph 22-34 of the affidavit in support and paragraphs 5-13 of the affidavit of urgency.
“This Court takes Judicial notice of the Order of interim injunction made against the plaintiffs/ applicants on 1st August, 2018 in suit No.MHC/259/18,” the presiding judge said.

Justifying the restraining orders, Justice Igoche said in her opinion, “it is necessary for the purpose of averting any danger that may be caused and to avoid any breach of the peace, that this application be granted so that the members of the Benue State House of Assembly will not sit in the 5th Plaintiff/applicant(s) (Assembly) Complex until the motion on notice is heard and determined”

The court in July had restrained the plaintiffs from parading themselves as officials of the house.

As it stands now with the ruling, the Benue State Assembly is without a leadership.