In a recent development, the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, has nullified an interim order that restrained Austin Agada from serving as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State. The judge deemed the restraining order to have been granted in error, stating that the issuing judge did not have the jurisdiction to grant the injunction without proper assignment by the State Chief Judge or a superior Judge.
Furthermore, the court ruled that the interim order had lapsed after seven days in accordance with the Rules of the Court, and any actions taken thereafter were invalidated. Justice Ikpambese has decided to reassign the case to another Judge who will hear the matter on its merits.
It is noteworthy that Agada had been suspended by his Ehaje Ward 1 EXCO for anti-party activities, leading to an Aliade High Court in Benue State barring him from acting as the state chairman of the APC. Subsequently, a new acting chairman, Benjamin Makolo, was appointed by party members to replace Agada.
Following these events, the state party secretariat has been sealed by security agencies since the removal of Agada as state chairman, and the appointment of Makolo as the acting state chairman of the party.
