Court Adjourns Hearing of Abuse of Local Government, Illegal Sack of Elected Local

Government Officials and Appointment of Caretaker Committees in Benue to 6 February

The matter of Sesugh Akume v Governor of Benue & 4 Others (Suit Number: MHC/346/2023) before the Honourable Mr Justice Polycarp Kwahar was today adjourned to Tuesday 6 February for hearing/adoption of written notices.

Our attorney, Atume Butu, Esq., was not present in court, I therefore asked the court for a short adjournment to put our house in order.

The respondents’ lawyers did not oppose the application, and also did not ask for costs (a fine payable for wasting their time) in the interests of justice, more so that, according to the 3rd and 4th respondents’(Speaker, and Benue House of Assembly, respectively)counsel, our counsel had shown diligence in prosecuting the matter.

The court was kind to grant a short adjournment despite its full docket as I personally committed to sorting out all the issues and assuring the court we shall not be asking any further adjournment.

In an incidental matter, the attorney-general of Benue, who represented the 1st and 2nd respondents (Governor, and Attorney-General of Benue, respectively) drew the attention of the court to what he referred to as ‘two trials’: one in the court, another in the media (especially social media), citing an instance. This was denied when the judge asked me whether this was true. Asked whether there was any evidence to show the court, there was none in hand.

The court cautioned against a media trial, if at all there is any, which he believed there was not, and believed that parties shall submit themselves to the court alone for the adjudication of the matter.

We look forward to closing the case come 2 February and await the judgement. [PS: Atume Butu, Esq. who was visited at home after the court session has been terribly under the weather.]

Sesugh Akume

Makurdi

19 January 2023