Jude Okeke, a judge of the
federal high court, Abuja on Tuesday ordered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
to pay N180 million to Samuel Okutepa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN),
being his professional fee.
Okeke, who delivered judgment in
a suit filed by Okutepa against the PDP, said Okutepa deserved to be paid the
money for handling the cases for the party.
“The defendant is directed to pay
the claimant N180 million being the earned professional fee for defending and
prosecuting their cases listed out in the applicant’s statements of claims,”
the judge held.
The court also ordered PDP to pay
N50,000 to Okutepa for successfully handling the cases.
The judge held that it was not
right for the PDP not to pay for the work they knew was well handled by the
plaintiff.
He said the defendant claimed
that they did not give him job to do, as no legal agreement was signed by the
parties.
The judge said in the records
before the court, the applicant was given the brief by Gabriel Suswam, former
governor of Benue, and the attorney-general of Benue.
He added that the constitution of
PDP recognised a state governor as a high officer who can give instructions on
behalf of the party.
“The instructions given to the
applicant to handle the matter is binding on the PDP. “The defendant was aware
that the applicant conducted the cases and never questioned the instructions of
the governor,” he said.
“The defendant kept quiet and
benefited from his services, permitted and encouraged him to labour only to
claim that a legal contract was not signed.
“The defendant is not in denial
that the applicant did not handle the cases, but they claimed they did not
engage him.”
Some of the cases handled by
Okutepa were: Terver Kakih vs PDP and three others, three cases at the court of
appeal and supreme court, among others.
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