Governor Ortom slams ₦60bn lawsuit against Senator Akume over libel

On Friday, Samuel Ortom, Benue State Governor instituted a ₦60bn lawsuit against the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, at the Makurdi High Court.

The suit, No. MHC/268/2021, was filed by Okon N. Efut, (SAN), and four other lawyers on behalf of Ortom.

Ortom’s lawsuit is coming after Akume’s comment during a press conference in Abuja, where the minister accused the governor of ineptitude, disrespect for the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), as well as massive corruption.

In the libel suit, Ortom is seeking N50bn as general damages and another N10bn as exemplary and aggravated damages. Ortom complained that the press conference was intended to lower his estimation before right-thinking members of society and to expose him to hatred, contempt and ridicule.

He is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by himself or through any agent, servants or privies from similar or further publication of any defamatory statement against him.

The court has yet to fix a date for the hearing of the case.

Earlier on Friday, the Jemgbagh Unity Forum described Akume’s corruption allegations against Ortom as “most unfortunate and laughable.”

Jemgbagh consists of Buruku, Gboko and Tarka local government areas.

The Leader of the forum, Chief Yandev Amaa-Bai, at a news conference in Makurdi on Friday, wondered when Akume, a former two-term governor of Benue, realised Ortom and his government were corrupt.

In the 9 March 2019 Benue gubernatorial election and 23 March 2019 Benue State supplementary governorship election, Ortom was reelected as Governor having polled 434,473 votes while the runner up Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressive Congress polled 345,155 votes.

Following the election, Jime challenged Ortom’s victory and filed a petition on the grounds of substantial noncompliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended. On 21 January, 2020 the Supreme Court affirmed the election of Samuel Ortom as the governor of Benue State