*Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN.
Four indigenes of Benue have prayed a Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, from contesting the 2027 governorship election in the state.
The plaintiffs, in a suit filed by their lawyer, Fredricks Itula, SAN, prayed Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to grant their reliefs.
They cited a previous Supreme Court judgment which they claimed had allegedly barred Aondoakaa from holding any other office except the office of the AGF.
Aondoakaa is vying for the 2027 governorship election in Benue on the platform of the Peooles Democratic Party (PDP).
The applicants are David Ejembi, Aondoaver Teryila, Joseph Okpanachi and Benedict Orkume named as 1st to 4th plaintiffs on the face of the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2152/2026.
They said they were registered voters in Benue.
The plaintiffs sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP and Aondoakaa as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
They urged the court to declare that INEC is under constitutional obligation to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Michael Kaase Aondoakaa v. Obot (2022) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1824) 523, by stopping PDP from sponsoring Aondoakaa to contest in the 2027 governorship election in Benue.
They argued that this is in line with the provisions of Sections 235 and 287(1), read together with the meaning of “public office of a state” in Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
They prayed the court for an order of declaration that, by a combined construction of the above provisions of the law, INEC is under constitutional obligation to comply with the apex court judgment.
They also prayed for an order of declaration that, by a combined construction of the above provisions of the law, PDP is under constitutional obligation to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court, by terminating the sponsoring of Aondoakaa’s candidature for the poll.
The plaintiffs, therefore, sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from allowing PDP to sponsor Aondoakaa to contest for the 2027 Benue governorship election.
They equally prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining Aondoakaa from contesting in the election.
When the case was called on Monday, Itula informed Justice Abdulmalik of their inability to effect the service of the court processes on Aondoakaa, the 3rd defendant.
Against this development, the lawyer said an ex-parte motion for substituted service had been filed.
He said the motion sought an order to serve the 3rd defendant through the 2nd defendant (PDP)’s office.
After moving the motion, the judge granted the application.
She ruled that a copy of the service shall be forwarded to the court as evidence of service.
The judge also ordered that hearing notices be served on all the defendants and adjourned the case until Sept. 29 for further mention.