A Benue State High Court has issued an order of interim injunction, restraining the PDP, its NWC, NEC or its National Officers (elected or appointed) from expelling the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. Justice A.I Itoyonyiman issued the order on Thursday following a Suit with number MHC/46/2023, which was brought before the court on Wednesday, February 16th, 2023.
In the suit, Ortom is the Plaintiff/Applicant while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were first and second Defendant/ Respondents respectively.The court, upon hearing the Affidavit of Hon. Abraham Kwaghngu, Politician, Nigerian Citizen of Governor’s Office, Benue State Government House, Makurdi, Benue State, sworn to and filed at the High Court Registry, Makurdi on 15th February, 2023 made the following order:“Restraining the 1″ Defendant/Respondent either by itself or its National Working Committee and/or it National Executive Council and/or its National officers (elected or appointed) and/or its North- Central Zonal Executive Officers (elected or appointed) and/or its Benue State Officers (elected or appointed) and/or its Guma Local Government Area Officers (elected or appointed) and/or its Nzorov Council Ward Officers (elected or appointed) or any of its other organs or officials (anyhow so called) from expelling, suspending or levying any other punishment on the Plaintiff/Applicant pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.
“An interim order of injunction is also made restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent either by itself or any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called from receiving and/or acting upon any communication made by the 1st Defendant/Respondent seeking to disqualify from contesting or seeking not to be placed on the ballot paper the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant as the 1st Defendant’s candidate for the Benue North West Senatorial District in the 2023 general election pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.
Governor Ortom had earlier approached the court with the following demands: “An Order of interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent either by itself, or its National Working Committee, and/or its National Executive Council, and/or its National Officers (elected or appointed), and/or its North-Central Zonal Executive Officers (elected or appointed), and/or its Benue State officers (elected or appointed), and/or its Nzorov Council Ward Officers (elected or appointed), or any of its other organs or officials (anyhow so called) from expelling, suspending or levying any other punishment on the Plaintiff/Applicant, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.
“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent either by itself or any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called, from receiving and or acting upon any communication made by the 1 Defendant/Respondent seeking to disqualify from contesting or seeking not to be placed on the ballot paper the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant as the 1st Defendant’s candidate for the Benue North West Senatorial District in the 2023 general elections, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.
“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent either by itself or any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called, from refusing for whatever reason to place the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant on the ballot, to contest the Benue North West Senatorial election, slated for 25th February, 2023 or any other rescheduled dated, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”
The matter has been slated for hearing on the 24th of February, 2023.
Speaking too, in Abuja, yesterday, the Abia State Governor, Ikpeazu, hinted that the agitation of the embittered G-5 governors of the PDP, was beyond the forthcoming general election.
Situating the anger of the G-5 governors, Ikpeazu said, “Let me say this to us, how I feel about G-5 is that, what we are trying to bring to the fore is beyond 2023 elections. It’s about inclusiveness, it is about what we think is the root and jugular of problems in Nigeria.
“If at a point in my life as a politician and you produced two or three critical officers of my party from one particular geopolitical zone, I will agitate. Even if they come from my zone alone, I will still agitate. This is about how we get everyone on the table. If you exclude people from the northern, western and southern Nigeria, I am also going to protest, everybody must be onboard.”
The Abia State governor maintained that there was need for social mobilisation in order to solve the economy and security problems of the country, stating: “You don’t put the cart before the horse, everybody must be carried along so that the leader can move forward because the problem of Nigeria today is not just security nor economic problem.
“The greatest problem today is lack of cohesion, disunity, mutual respect and suspicious. We must come together because this country belong to all of us under one God and the parameters must be the same. So, this is what it is and G-5 is beyond 2023.”
On his book, Ikpeazu said, “The essence of our being here is to solve problems and my study sojourn in the biochemistry will be in vain if I don’t make any contribution to the body of knowledge. So it was this drive that propelled me to keep at it until I achieved it. When I came over to the flip side of the public service to serve as governor, I thought that would have been a point of divergence and disconnection from my first love – biochemistry.
“but with time I looked at every issue and every problem of biochemistry. In 2013, I had the opportunity to serve as deputy general manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, so as we were managing domestic waste, I also saw a dimension in terms of trying to explain the causes of the diseases we suffered because of the pollutants in the environment.
“So, biochemistry refused to leave me and I had to go back and pick it up. I feel very very fulfilled honestly, because this is a journey that I started over 20 years ago and it’s not been easy at all and to write a book in biochemistry does not leave you too much choice because there are rules, there are principles which you must reflect in your interventions. And so, for me, it is the icing on my cake as an academic. So, I feel fulfilled and very happy,” he concluded.
