Court Restrains APC from Sacking Benue State Party Chair, Other Members of SWC

•NWC ignores order, sacks state exco, constitutes 7-man caretaker committee

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and George Okoh in Makurdi

The Benue State High Court has restrained the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Sacking the state chairman of the party, Hon. Augustine Agada and other members of the State Working Committee (SWC).

Since the assumption of office of Governor Hyacinth Alia, there had been a cold war between him and his estranged political godfather, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

The cold war over who controls the sole of the party in Benue has led to the factionalisation of the party. A  faction of the party led by Benjamin Omakolo has the support of the governor, while the other faction led by Agada is loyal to Akume.

However, a copy of the exparte order granted by Justice Theresa Igoche in suit no: MH /1585m/2024, was made available to journalists at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja yesterday.

The court also ordered the National Working Committee (NWC) led by its National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, not to remove Agada-led State Working Committee until the expiration of its four years tenure.

The Judge, while granting the exparte application by Agada and eight others, restrained APC, either by itself, its privies, assigns, staff, officers, servants, agents, representatives, or whomsoever, howsoever described, from removing, changing replacing or howsoever terminating his tenure and other members of the Benue State Working Committee of the Respondent until the expiration of their four-year term in office pending the determination of the motion on Notice.

“I have looked at the processes filed along with the application, particularly, Exhibit MT ‘1’ attached to the affidavit in support and I am satisfied that the application has merit,” the judge declared while granting the prayers of Agada.

“In the circumstances, I hereby grant the application as prayed,” the judge ordered.

The Judge further ordered that the order be served on the APC forthwith, along with the motion on notice fixed for hearing on 28th of this month.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC has ignored the court order and sacked the State Working Committee (SWC).

The NWC-led by its National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, announced the dissolution of the state exco at the end of the NWC meeting held yesterday in Abuja.

The Caretaker Committee which was inaugurated by Ganduje at the party’s National Secretariat would  serve for six months.

“The problem we are having in the state, factions, counter-factions;  litigations, counter-litigations. These, the National Working Committee will not allow to continue.

“The party is an institution, you must be united. So in order to solve the problem, we followed our Constitution and therefore the National Working Committee has today dissolved the Executive Committee and at the same time the National Working Committee has approved the constitution of a seven-man Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party for the next six months.

“Also, since you are going for local government election, and the party is the only organ that can certify candidature of any contestant, therefore, you are saddled with the responsibility of conducting primaries for those who intend to become chairmen and councilors of their local government areas.

“We urge to unite, continue dialogue with major stakeholders so that we will bring all of you together so you work together.”

The members of the constituted Benue State Caretaker Committee are Hon. Benjamin Omale (Chairman), Prof. Ben Angwe (Secretary), while Hon. Richard Mzungweve, Hon. James Ornguga, Terhemen Ngbea, Helen Agaigbe, and Ali Adah would serve as members.