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The leadership turmoil within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified, as the dissolved state executive committee, led by Hon. Augustine Agada, has taken legal action against the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for allegedly disregarding a court order.
On Wednesday, a Benue State High Court issued an injunction preventing the Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) from dissolving the Agada-led state executive. However, later that same day, the NWC proceeded to dissolve the state chapter’s leadership, in apparent defiance of the court’s directive.
In response, Agada, along with eight other members of the dissolved executive, filed contempt charges against the NWC on Thursday. The motion, referenced as no: MHC/1585/M/2024, requests that the court enforce its initial ruling, compelling the Ganduje-led NWC to respect the decision not to remove them from office before the end of their four-year tenure.
The dissolved Benue APC executive also called on the court to impose punitive measures against the NWC for the alleged disobedience of its order. In an affidavit filed by Agada’s counsel, M.T. Aiyebo, it was stated that the court’s order had been duly served to the NWC on Wednesday at approximately 4:00 PM, with a copy delivered to the National Legal Adviser at the party’s national secretariat shortly after.
Agada expressed surprise that despite being served the court order, the Ganduje-led NWC held a meeting around 6:00 PM that same evening, during which they dissolved the Benue state executive and appointed a caretaker committee, contrary to the court’s ruling.
In the affidavit, Agada recounted, “I saw on several television stations that same evening about 8:00 PM and several other news media that the Benue State Working Committee of the Respondent on record has been dissolved by the Respondent against whom the leave of this Honourable Court is being sought.”
The court will now determine whether the actions of the Ganduje-led NWC constitute contempt and what penalties may be applied if they are found in violation of the court’s order.
