The sum of N100 million has been awarded against the expelled former National Vice Chairman, South-East, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Ali Odefa.
The ruling was given by a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Friday.
Twenty PDP members including executives of the party in Oguduokwor, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, had approached the court in suit number: FHC/AI/CS/FHR/197 for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights against an alleged false and malicious accusation leveled against them by Odefa.
In a ruling, Justice Hilary I. O. Oshomah held that Odefa had “maliciously” used the police against the defendants as he had made criminal accusations against the applicants in a civil political matter.
The court held that Odefa who had alleged in his statement to the police that the defendants forged documents to suspend him as a member of the PDP in Oguduokwor Ward failed to show proof of any form of forgery in the court to support his claims.
The court, therefore, issued an order restraining Odefa and the police from harassing, arresting or in any form intimidating the defendants on the issue of his (Ali Odefa’s) suspension from the PDP, Oguduokwor Ward.
The court also awarded damages in the sum of N5 million to each of the 20 defendants, totaling N100 million.
The court further ordered that the damages cost must be paid within seven days of the judgement. Failure to pay, according to the court will attract 10 percent daily interest.
Recall that Odefa was expelled from the PDP on December 12th 2024 by the executives of PDP Oguduokwor Ward after a disciplinary committee of the party recommended his expulsion, having found him guilty of anti-party activities.
