What began as a story of political triumph for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State is fast turning into a courtroom drama. Sixteen members of the Plateau State House of Assembly are now facing lawsuits from their own lawyers, who insist that despite winning at the 2023 Election Appeal Tribunals, the lawmakers have refused to pay the fees that fueled their victories.
The First Shockwave
On Thursday, 19th September, 2025, the High Court sitting in Jos heard of the latest twist. Hon. Nimchak Abel Nansak, Hon. Laven Denty Jacob, and Hon. Dachung Moses Dadon, all APC lawmakers stood sued in Suit No: PLD/J331/2025 of owing their lawyers professional fees dating back to last year.
The case was brought by a team of five lawyers: Martin Omohwo Esq, Leo Ebi Esq, Michale Alloy Dawam Esq, Ada Akonani Esq, and Emmanuel Yokpe Esq, for themselves and on behalf of the Legal team who say they fought tooth and nail in 2023, handling appeals and post-judgment motions at the Court of Appeal, only to be left unpaid.
Reality, however, shows that while the lawmakers have been served with the Writ of Summons since July, they have not filed any defence. Instead, they entered only a Memorandum of Conditional Appearance. At the last sitting, they did not appear in court personally but were represented by Micah Adeji Esq. The matter was adjourned off-record to 23rd October, 2025, giving the lawmakers more time, but their silence so far leaves the lawyers fuming.
The Bigger Battle
This case is only the tip of the iceberg. In Suit No: PLD/J339/2025, a wider net has been cast around 16 APC lawmakers, including the three mentioned above. The claimants: Leo Ebi, M. S. Salihu, Emmanuel Hassan, Adaeze Akonani, and Emmanuel Yokpe, say the Assembly members owe for services rendered in post-judgment proceedings at the Federal High Court, Jos Division.
Honourable Justice G. M. Kamyal, who signed the Writ of Summons, gave the lawmakers 30 days to enter appearance or risk judgment being delivered against them. In a dramatic twist, the court also ordered that processes could be served by WhatsApp messages in addition to pasting them at the Assembly complex on Gomwalk Road, Jos.
When the matter came up on 18th September, 2025, the court had just resumed from its long vacation and did not sit. The case was adjourned to 23rd October, 2025. As of today, none of the lawmakers has filed a defence.
A Familiar Ending?
For many observers, the story feels like déjà vu. In 2022, the Plateau State High Court issued garnishee orders in the now-famous Akubo & Pwul v. APC case (Suit No: PLD/J/631/2022), freezing several APC accounts after the party failed to pay senior lawyers who represented it at the Court of Appeal in 2019.
Now, with 16 lawmakers already before the court, insiders believe history may repeat itself. If the lawyers press their claims successfully, the Assembly members or even the APC itself, could see their accounts garnished once again.
The Irony of Victory
The unfolding drama exposes a bitter irony of Nigerian politics: candidates win elections, sometimes only because of intense legal battles waged in their favour, but once the dust settles, lawyers are left chasing their fees through the same courts where they once secured victory.
As the Plateau Assembly members brace for their October court dates, one truth is inescapable, the celebration of 2023’s electoral victories may soon give way to the sobering reality of 2025’s unpaid bills.