A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Chubby Ben-Walson, has dragged the Bayelsa chapter of the party to a State High Court sitting in Yenagoa for failure to pay its eight years outstanding rent.

The rent totaling N85 million is for the State Secretariat of the party in the Onopa area of Yenagoa, the state capital.

At the hearing on Thursday, counsel to Ben-Walson, former chairman of Yenagoa LGA, Kelvin Ejelonu, lamented that PDP – which was not represented by a counsel – had been served the court notice since March 27.

Ejelonu noted that, according to the court proceedings rule, the time they had to file their response to the processes had long elapsed.

In his ruling, Justice T. I. Cocodia, urged the complainant to give PDP another chance to enable them file their response and be served hearing notice. He thereafter adjourned the matter to June 24, 2019.

The former council boss, in his affidavit deposed before the court, is seeking a declaration of the court that the he is entitled to payment of rent from PDP for the use of his building as Party Secretariat.

The one-storey building is located along DSP Alamieseigha Expressway, Yenagoa.

Walson further prayed the court for:

“An order of the court that the defendant (PDP) should pay to the claimant the outstanding rent of N85 million being balance of unpaid rent for the claimant’s building from July 31, 2010 to till July 31, 2018.

“An order to the defendant to pay the due rent of N20 million as rent from July 31, 2018 to July 31, 2019 if this matter transcends August 1, 2019.

“An order of this court that the defendant should pay to the claimant 10% interest on the balance of the unpaid rent, and 10% interest on the total judgement sum until the said judgment sum is liquidated.”

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