A Makurdi High Court, presided over by Justice Thereza Igoche, has extended an interim injunction restraining the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress from dissolving the Austine Agada-led State Working Committee in Benue state.
The court had initially issued the order on August 21, 2024, pending the commencement of hearing. However, the NWC led by Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje allegedly dissolved the SWC on the same day, prompting Mr. Agada and other members to urge the court to maintain the status quo and extend the restraining order.
Their counsel, Mr. Michael Alyebo, argued that “the filing of a preliminary objection does not bar the court from exercising its authority to preserve the status quo.”
In response, APC Counsel, Mr. Yahaya Dangana, a Senior Advocate, noted that the injunction was served on the party after the dissolution and insisted that the party acted within its rights to dissolve the Agada-led SWC committee. He served a notice of preliminary objection on the court and maintained that further hearings in the matter be halted pending the determination of the preliminary objection.
However, Justice Igoche dismissed the argument of the defence counsel, extending the interim order by another seven days and adjourning the matter to September 2, 2024, for the hearing of the substantive motion and other applications.
