By Mohammed Yangida, Lafia A High Court sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital has ordered the chairman of All Progressives Congress, Mr. Philip Shekwo and All Progressive Congress ( APC) to pay the sum of N92.7 million to the party’s legal team in the state.
The resident lawyers last month dragged the All Progressives Congress alongside the state chairman of the party before the High Court, claiming that the party and its Chairman have engaged them for various services either to file or defend petitions for and against the APC.
Specifically, the mentioned handling of cases during the Nasarawa State local government Election in all the 13 local governments areas of the state in the sum of N100 million which services had been fully rendered, but APC had paid them N7.3 million only with the remaining the unpaid balance of N92.7 million which APC had refused to paid them.
Delivery the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Umaru Suleiman Dikko said he granted the reliefs of the plaintiffs based on the High Court procedure rules 2010 and particularly order 15 -rules 4 -of the High Court which stated that when it appears to a Judge that the defendant has no good defense then the Judge may enter judgment in favour of the plaintiffs in the sum he claimed, noting that when a suit initiated through undefended list in the sitting.
He, however, stated further that all the defendants were severed with all the court processes and they have failed to file their notice of intention to defend the suit.
“The defendants were severed with all court processes and they have failed to file their notice of intention to defend a suit which would have accompanied by affidavit stating their own line of defense,” he added.
Justice Dikko, therefore, granted all the three reliefs sought by the plaintiffs which include, N92.7million, the 10 percent interest on the judgment sum, commencing from the day of the judgment to the entire judgment sum as well as the cost in filling in the case.
Shortly after the court judgment, the counsel to the six resident lawyers Barrister Shikammah Kassam Sheltu expressed delight and satisfaction with the judgment delivered against the defendants.
Reacting, the state legal adviser to APC, Barrister Mohammed Usman Elegu declined comment on the judgment.
