Court sacks Benue APC caretaker committee
A High Court in Makurdi has sacked the seven-member caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, reinstating the leadership of the party’s embattled chairman, Austine Agada. Justice T.A. Kume delivered the ruling on Thursday in response to a suit filed by Agada, challenging the dissolution of the APC State Working Committee […]
A High Court in Makurdi has sacked the seven-member caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, reinstating the leadership of the party’s embattled chairman, Austine Agada.
Justice T.A. Kume delivered the ruling on Thursday in response to a suit filed by Agada, challenging the dissolution of the APC State Working Committee (SWC) by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
The court declared the dissolution unconstitutional, citing violations of the APC constitution and the denial of a fair hearing for the affected committee members.
Justice Kume underscored the principle of justice by referencing the biblical account of God allowing Adam to be heard.
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The judge thereafter ruled that all actions taken by the seven-member caretaker committee appointed by the APC national secretariat to replace the Agada-led SWC were null and void, thereby reinstating Agada’s leadership.
The APC in Benue State has been embroiled in a leadership crisis since the 2023 elections. The division mainly pits supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia against those of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
In January 2024, the faction led by Benjamin Omakolo, backed by Governor Alia, established a parallel secretariat near the Government House in Makurdi. But Agada’s faction, supported by Akume, maintained its headquarters at the party’s existing secretariat near Zenith Bank in Makurdi.
To address the crisis, the APC NWC established a caretaker committee with representatives from both factions. However, the Agada-led executive filed a lawsuit to challenge the committee’s legitimacy.
Tensions escalated on August 26, when the Agada-led SWC and the caretaker committee, headed by Benjamin Omale, clashed over the conduct of the party’s primary elections. The Agada-led SWC announced that it had elected 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship candidates by consensus for the local government elections held on October 5. These primaries were reportedly conducted at ward headquarters across all 23 local government areas on August 24.
Conversely, the Omale-led caretaker committee contested this process, claiming they had conducted their own primaries and were satisfied with the screening exercises conducted on September 1 and 2.
Following the elections, the APC emerged victorious in all 276 council wards across the 23 local government areas of the state. The elected chairmen and councillors, from the camp of the caretaker committee, assumed office on October 6.
Meanwhile, the Omale-led caretaker committee has filed an appeal at the Makurdi division of the Court of Appeal against the judgement.
Not satisfied with the ruling, the committee, through its lawyer, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), filed the appeal on Thursday. The APC has also filed a motion at the state high court for a stay of execution of the judgement in favour of Austine Agada, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
Omale called on party faithful in Benue State to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses, assuring them there is no reason to panic.