Landlord Drags APC to Court in Enugu Over 2 Years Unpaid Rent

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, December 19th, 2019

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

A landlord, Mr. Victor Kanaychukwu Ani, has dragged the Udi local government area of Enugu state, South- east Nigeria, chapter of the ruling All progressive Congress APC to court over two years rent arrears owed him by the party.

The Plaintiff, who filed the case with suit No. MUD\85\2019 at the Magistrate court (2) Udi, presided over by Ngozi Oruraa on Wednesday, via his lawyer, Barrister Emeka Okologbu- Njoku, claimed that the party was owing him two years arrears of rent “from December 2018 to August 2019.

According to the suit, the debt which was incurred by the party was for a one office space apartment let out to the APC by Mr. Ani, for the purposes of running its Udi local government area secretariat situated at old Nsukka road, near Enugu water Corporation, 9^th mile Corner, Ngwo, Enugu state.

African Examiner reports that Udi council area of the state, parades top ex- and serving government functionaries, who are chieftains of the party, such as the Minister of foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, National Vice chairman of APC, chief Emma Enukwu, Director – Genera of Voice of Nigeria VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, immediate past governor of the state, Barrister Sullivan Chime, an Aide to president Muhammadu Buhari, Barrister Juliet Ibekaku, amongst others.

A copy of the suit and summons obtained by our correspondent, which has the Udi council Area chairman of APC, Mr. Jude Anyadibe, as defendant, indicates that the office space was let out to the party at the cost of N35,000 (thirty five thousand naira) per month, which amounts to N420, 000 four hundred and twenty thousand yearly, bringing the debt to 840, 000, (eight hundred and forty thousand naira) for the two years being owed.

The plaintiff, in the suit, stated that he had earlier handed down a quit notice to the APC, adding that following the defendant’s refusal to obey the quit notice, he had no option than to approach the court with a view to taking possession of his property.

When contacted for his reaction, the Udi council chairman of APC, Mr. Anyadibe, declined comment, just as efforts to speak with the Enugu West senatorial district zonal vice chairman of the party, Engineer Ik . Omenkeuku hit the rock, as his mobile phone was switched off as at the time of filling this report.

Meanwhile, a stalwart of the APC in the locality, who craved anonymity while reacting to the development said “its really shameful and sad that a local government area where you have big wigs of our party, such as Foreign Affairs Minister, DG Von, former governor of the state, National Vice chairman of the party, and others cannot pay an office space that is less than N500k a year, what a shame?