…As Chieftain warns PDP: Avoid mistakes that brought APC to power in Plateau***
The Federal High Court sitting in Benin on Tuesday adjourned the trial of the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Sept. 19 Edo Governorship Election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and four others until Oct 15.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the case to enable the counsels to file a reply to the pending motions challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try the case.
The other defendants in the case include Chief Dan Orbih, erstwhile State chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state Chairman of the party, Tony Aziegbemi, former Deputy Governor of Edo, Mr Lucky Imasuen, and Efe Erimuoghae-Anthony.
The defendants are being tried on charges bordering on alleged N700 million money laundering case filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although Justice Umar had, on Thursday, June 18, validated the corruption charges against the defendants whose case had suffered a setback on July 7 following the inability of Ize-Iyamu to appear in court because of his ill health.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Ize-Iyamu arrived the court as early as 8:30 am., while his lawyer, Mr Charles Edosomwan (SAN), objected to the EFCC’s Counsel, Mr Ahmed Imoovba’s request to continue with the case when the pending motions before the court were yet to be heard.
Edosomwan prayed the court to grant the defendants seven day’s extension of time to react to the EFCC’s motion on point of law in line with the rules of the court.
Imoovba and counsels to the other defendants did not oppose Edosomwan’s application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.
Similarly, Imoovba, in his own separate motion, sought for extension of time to file his reply to Edosomwan’s objection.
Justice Umar, after listening to the submissions of both counsels, ruled that he had given all the parties seven days within which to file all relevant documents to court before the commencement of its vacation on July 27.
Justice Umar adjourned the case until Oct. 15 for further hearing.
Recalls that the EFCC, in Suit No. FHC/BE21C/ 2016, had filed an eight-count charge against the defendants over alleged illegal receipt of public funds to the tune of N700 million for the purpose of the 2015 general election.
The EFCC further accused the defendants of conspiring among themselves to commit the offense in March 2015, alleging that they took possession and control of the funds without any contract awarded.
In another development, a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau, Mr Bitrus Kaze, has warned the party against repeating the mistakes that gave power to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state in 2015.
Kaze, who is a Chairmanship aspirant for the forthcoming PDP State Congress in the state, gave the warning on Tuesday in Jos.
He said the party needed to learn from its mistakes and make amends if it wanted to return to power in the state.
“What brought us here in the first place is the fact that we made serious mistakes as a party and in relationship with the people Plateau and other political parties.
“By the time we offer people fair and credible elections whether congresses or primaries, PDP will return to power because Plateau is for the PDP.
“This is the time for us to learn our lessons because we cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result,” the former House of Representatives member said.
Kaze assured his supporters that he was still in the race with a view to repositioning the party in Plateau to recapture power in 2023.
He said he was not deterred in spite of setbacks occasioned partly by the COVID-19 pandemic which compelled the party to shift its congress for three months.
