Elders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State have called for caution regarding the recent removal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Ikpambese.
The party leaders also criticized the APC Elders Forum for its attack on Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, in connection with the issue.
The PDP leaders made their concerns known during a press conference in Makurdi, the state capital. Dr. Laha Dzever, speaking on behalf of the party leaders, expressed disapproval of the suspension of lawmakers over the removal of the Chief Judge. He urged the State Assembly to reverse its actions and return to the status quo.
“We want to advise the State Assembly to return all their actions to the status quo because most of the lawmakers on suspension are PDP representatives, representing various constituencies and must be allowed to diligently discharge their duties as the voices and aspirations of the hundreds of thousands of the people they represent,” Dzever stated. “So we want to categorically tell the assembly to lift the suspension which remains an anomaly and an aberration within the ambit of democratic conventions.”
It was reported that three of the 13 suspended lawmakers are from the PDP, namely William Ortyom (PDP/Agasha), Emmanuel Onah (PDP/Oju I), and Solomon Gyila (PDP/Gwer West). The remaining ten suspended lawmakers are from the APC, including Douglas Akya (APC/Makurdi South), Jonathan Agbidye (APC/Katsina-Ala East), Beckie Orpin (APC/Gboko East), Simon Gabo (APC/Mata), Elias Audu (APC/Gwer East), Anyor Matu (APC/Kwande East), Manger Manger (APC/Tarka), Samuel Agada (APC/Ogbadibo), Abraham Jabi (APC/Buruku), and Ezra Nyiyongo (APC/Ukum).
On the subject of the suspension of Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the PDP elders emphasized that the judiciary, as an independent arm of government, should not be politicized. They warned that any attempt to interfere with the judiciary could pose a serious threat to democracy.
“We advise the Benue State House of Assembly to act judiciously and responsibly, by always ensuring that decisions concerning judicial officers are made with integrity and fairness but above all to be rooted in the rule of law and due process,” the PDP elders stated. “We equally emphasize the need for transparency and accountability in governance. The recent action taken by the APC-led government in the state raises serious concerns about its sincerity and integrity.”
The PDP elders also urged the APC administration to embrace open governance practices to ensure transparency and accountability. They further called on the APC elders to adopt a more conciliatory and measured tone in their approach, particularly when addressing issues related to peace and stability in the state.
“We further implore the APC elders to note that the blessing of age, experience, and eldership bestows upon us a responsibility in words and in tone of language, to be more conciliatory than adversarial, to be more accommodating than combative, and to be more measured than vituperative in speech,” the PDP leaders added. “The primary concern of eldership is to embrace, support, and promote peace, which is necessary for societal stability currently desired in our dear state, Benue. It is un-elderly to do otherwise.”
