Federal High Court Awards over N100m Fine on Former South East PDP National Vice Chairman
By Ngwuta Chinedu, Abakaliki
An Abakaliki Federal High Court has ordered the suspended former National Vice-Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, (South East), Chief Ali Odefa.
to pay a total of #100, 000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira naira) being general damages and N2,000,000 as cost to the Executives of the Party in Ogwudokwor Ward in Onicha LGA of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi state
following his suspension over alleged involvement in anti-party activities.
In its ruling today in a consolidated Fundamental Rights suit with suit number:
FHC/ AI/CS/197/2024 between Herbert Onyedikachi Ovuta & 4 ORS. v. Chief Ali Odefa and 2 others and another, ,FHC/AI/CS/ 199/ 2024 between Sabastine Idenyi &13 others v. Chief Ali & 2 others, the Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Hillary I.O. Oshomah ordered the defendant to pay a total sum of N100m to the applicants as general damage and another N2m as cost for harassing and attempting to arrest them using the instrumentality of the Nigerian Police Force.
The applicants; Herbert Onyedikachi Ovuta, Okorie C. Okorie, Moses Idika, Ifeanaru Aloke, Chief John Igboke and Mrs. Ijeoma Nome had approached the Court seeking for enforcement of their fundamental rights pursuant to Order two of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 and Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) respectively.
Lead counsel to the applicants, Chief Mudiaga Ehrenede had in the suit filed in October last year sought seven reliefs from the Court among which was; a declaration that the threats, invitation, harassment and intimidation of the ward executives for suspending the former National Vice-Chairman (South East) were unconstitutional and a violation of their fundamental human rights.
The applicants had also prayed the Court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from threatening, arresting, inviting or intimidating the Respondent/applicants for their roles in the suspension of the former National Vice-Chairman (South East) of the PDP for anti-party activities.
In it’s ruling, the Court held among others that the suspended and later expelled former PDP National Vice-Chairman used the police to maliciously harass and intimidate the applicants in an attempt to prevent them from prosecuting the civil suit pertaining to his suspension which rendered the matter subjudice at the time of the police report.
Justice Oshomah further gave an order restraining the police and Odefa from harassing, arresting , inviting any of the Applicants on account of facts pertaining to his suspension.
“That N100m is hereby awarded as general damages against Ali Odefa and N2m as cost in favour of the Applicants in these consolidated suits”, the judge ruled.
Recall that in October 2024, six PDP Executive in Oguduokwor ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State had slammed the then National Vice-Chairman(South East) of the Party, Chief Ali Odefa with an indefinite suspension for alleged anti-party activities among other allegations. He was later expelled from the Party.
He was recently replaced with the Party’s former zonal Youth leader, Comrade Chidiebere Egwu.