Court Fixes June 27 For Suit On Benue Local Government Polls, Adjourns Case Against Sacking Of Elected Council Officials With No Date Given

Justice J. M. Shishi of the Benue State High Court in Makurdi declined an application for accelerated hearing in a suit filed by Comrade Sesugh Akume against the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC). Akume’s suit seeks to compel BSIEC to conduct local government elections before the expiration of the incumbent council chairpersons’ tenure. The court has set June 27, 2024, for the definitive hearing of the case, which is numbered MHC/449/2024.

Akume, the plaintiff, stated that BSIEC has responded to the court processes served on them. He highlighted that their aim is to have the local government elections conducted in time for the incoming administrations to be sworn in on June 29, the day the current officials’ term ends. He criticized BSIEC for scheduling the elections for July 6, a week after the handover date, deeming it unconstitutional and abnormal.

This case, initiated on March 13, saw its first hearing on May 23. Akume expressed frustration that despite filing an application for accelerated hearing due to the case’s urgency, the matter hadn’t been heard until now.

In a separate case, Sesugh Akume vs. Governor of Benue & 4 Others (MHC/346/2023), before Justice P. T. Kwahar of the High Court of Benue in Makurdi, the court failed to hear the case and provided no future date for the hearing. According to Akume, court proceedings were halted due to the courtroom’s renovation and its use by a commission of inquiry.

The lawsuit aims to challenge the legality of caretaker committees in local governments and invalidate any provision allowing for the suspension of elected councils or the appointment of unelected ones. Akume argues that such provisions are outdated and unconstitutional, likening the sacking of elected councils to a coup d’état.

Akume expressed determination to respond promptly to BSIEC’s processes and eagerly awaits the June 27 hearing date for the local government election case.

This legal battle reflects the ongoing struggle for democratic governance at the local level in Benue State, with stakeholders seeking to uphold constitutional principles and ensure fair representation through timely and transparent elections.

SaharaReporters