A Bayelsa State High Court on Thursday reserved its judgement for October 23 in a litigation between the Bayelsa chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its landlord over unpaid rents for eight years.

Mr Chubby Ben-Walson had dragged the Bayelsa chapter of PDP to a State High Court sitting in Yenagoa, for failure to pay its eight years outstanding rents.

The rents totaling N105 million is for the State Secretariat of the party in Onopa area of Yenagoa.

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

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

In his ruling, Justice T. I. Cocodia, adjourned the matter till Oct. 23 for judgement following several adjournments to pave way for out of court settlement.

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

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

Ben Walson, a stalwart of the ruling PDP in Bayelsa 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 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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