Austin Agada, the All Progressives Congress state chairman who had been suspended, was reinstated on Monday by the Benue State High Court in Makurdi.
Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, issued the directive in response to a plea to vacate the temporary injunction prohibiting Agada from representing the Benue State APC Chairman.
Agada was barred from presenting himself as the party’s chairman by a state high court in Aliade, Gwer East Local Government Area, according to a report published in The PUNCH last week. After Agada was suspended by the Ehaje council ward leadership, one Agaba Moses obtained the court order.
As a result, the party’s State Executive Committee, chaired by Governor Hyacinth Alia, convened last Wednesday to choose Benjamin Omakolo as interim chairman.
However, on Monday, the state’s Chief Judge overturned Agada’s restraining order in response to an ex parte request made by his attorney, J.J. Usman (SAN).
In his decision, Justice Ikpambese stated that in accordance with Rule 3 of Order 39 of the Benue State High Court Procedure Rules, 2023, ‘the lifespan of an interim order is seven days, and since the order was issued on February 2nd, 2024, it has elapsed by law.’’
Additionally, Justice Ikpambese decided that as Justice Lillian Tsumba was not assigned the case by the Chief Judge, she lacked the authority to issue the interim order that confined Agada.
The CJ continued by declaring that Omakolo’s nomination as acting APC chairman was void.
