Contrary to a directive by the Chief Judge (CJ) of Benue State, Honourable Justice Maurice Ikpambese, moving the sitting of Benue Local Government Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Tribunal to Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) House Abuja, there was no sitting today as planned.
This development follows a restraining order issued by Honourable Justice R. J. Egbe of the Federal High Court (FHC) Makurdi Judicial Division on 7 March 2025, upon Motion Ex-parte brought by the Attorney General of Benue State and 27 others against the decision of the CJ.
In restraining the panels from sitting outside Benue State and the NBA from allowing the use of its “House in Abuja, which is not an open court,” Justice Egbe fixed 25th March, 2025, for the hearing of the Motion on Notice, 22 days to the life span of the Tribunal. 25th March will be 158 days out of the 180 days allowed for the Tribunal to hear and deliver judgment in all the petitions.
There were mixed feelings when the decision was made to move the venue of the panels’ sitting to Abuja.
Yahaya D. Dagana, SAN, who represented respondents in today’s supposed sitting at Abuja, told journalists that “their lordships who are members of the panel called us to say that an order of the Federal High Court has been served on them which restrains their sitting in Abuja.”
According to Dagana, SAN, the order provides that the sitting of the Benue State Local Government Tribunal and the Appeal Tribunal is to be conducted or held in Makurdi, not Abuja.
No date for the next sitting is mentioned yet, and Dagana said, “Whenever the arrangement is made, they will serve us hearing notice to go and sit in Makurdi.”
Ocha P. Ulegede, for the petitioners, told journalists that following the restraining order served on the tribunal, members of the Tribunal will revert to the Chief Judge of Benue State on how to proceed with sittings.
According to Ulegede, parties will return to Makurdi since no one wants to travel to Abuja for sittings.
