Benue APC Showdown: Appeal Court To Decide Fate Of Agba Vs Agada Dispute Soon

Benue APC Showdown: Appeal Court To Decide Fate Of Agba Vs Agada Dispute Soon

The Court of Appeal in Makurdi has reserved judgment in the case involving Hon. Moses Agaba’s appeal against the decision of the High Court to annul the interim order barring Comrade Austin Agada from acting…CONTINUE READING…

as the Benue State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).Agaba is challenging the ruling made by Justice M. A. Ikpambese, Chief Judge of Benue State, which set aside the earlier interim order from the Benue State High Court, Aliade Division, that had restrained Agada from presenting himself as the APC chairman for the state.

During the appeal, Agaba’s lawyer, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, argued that the Chief Judge wrongly intervened in the case by retrieving the file from another judge and overturning the interim order. He argued that this was akin to the Chief Judge acting as an appellate court over a colleague’s decision.

In response, Agada’s counsel, Yakubu Philemon, SAN, maintained that the lower court’s action was justified, as the interim order, initially meant to last only seven days, had expired on February 12, 2024, with no application filed to extend it.

In another matter, the Court of Appeal also heard an appeal challenging the National Industrial Court’s refusal to hear a case filed by 23 former Local Government Chairmen in Benue, elected under the PDP, regarding the jurisdiction of the court. Counsel for the appellants, S. A. Akpehe, Esq., argued that the NICN did not have jurisdiction as the subject matter was not an industrial issue.

The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on both cases, with the decision to be communicated to the parties at a later date.