Court to rule on Ortom, Oshiomhole’s case July 11

A High Court sitting in Makurdi will on July 11 rule on the application brought before it by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in the libellous suit instituted against him by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state.

Ortom had in August 2018 dragged Oshiomhole to court in a N10 billion suit for alleged damages done to his reputation after the seven days apology ultimatum elapsed without the reliefs he sought for being met by the APC national chairman.

The presiding judge, Justice Augustine Ityoyiman, at the weekend fixed July 11, 2019 to rule on the application brought before it by counsel to the APC national chairman, Festus Jumbo after listening to arguments on both sides.

Earlier, Ortom’s counsel, Samuel Irabor, who came with his two witnesses, told the court that he was ready to go on, but was served with a motion on notice a day before the matter came up in court by the counsel to the APC National Chairman which he had responded to.

Counsel to the APC national chairman, Jumbo however said that, his application was praying the court to strike out the suit for failure to join the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Vanguard Media Limited, Publishers of the Vanguard Newspaper and other print and social media platforms.

But Irabor in a response averred that the case can be decided between Governor Ortom, Adams Oshiomhole and the APC without joining the NTA, Vanguard Media Ltd and social media platforms, adding that the defendant had even owned up to the allegation and said he sourced his information from third parties which included leaders of Benue state APC whose names were not stated and a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO).

Ortom’s counsel further argued that the issue for determination was whether the allegations of Oshiomole and APC against Ortom to the effect that the governor had a hand in the death of the two catholic priest at Mbalom and whether there was mismanagement of bailout funds in Benue state as alleged by Oshiomhole in his press conference of July 27, 2018.

He therefore urged the court to dismiss the application and award cost against Oshiomhole for wasting the court’s time as they are already done with pre-trials and now faced with the business of hearing the substantive suit which he came ready with his witnesses.

Meanwhile, Justice Ityonyiman, after the submissions of the counsels fixed July 11, 2019 for ruling on whether the NTA and Vanguard Media Ltd should be joined in the suit, award cost and continuation of the substantive case.