The internal crisis rocking the Benue State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress may not end anytime soon as the camp loyal to the Governor of the State, Hyacinth Alia shunned the directive given by the National Working Committee of the party.
The APC NWC ordered Alia’s camp to withdraw all legal actions initiated by party members within the stipulated seven-day period, which has elapsed without heeding the directive of the NWC.
It would be recalled that the leadership crisis in the Benue APC started shortly after the administration of Governor Alia was inaugurated.
The crack within the Benue State APC was fueled by a strained relationship with the party’s state leader and current Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
However, the crisis worsened when Dan Onjeh, the APC senatorial candidate in the 2023 Benue South election and a staunch supporter of Governor Alia, filed a petition against the State Party Chairman, Austin Agada, before the APC national leadership.
Onjeh accused Agada of undermining the party’s interests during the previous election.
Meanwhile, the State APC Chairman and a majority of the executive committee members pledge loyalty to Akume, while a minority has sided with Governor Alia.
In response to the allegation, the former Ward Chairman of Ehaje 1, Owukpa, who now serves as a Supervisory Councillor with Ogbadibo Local Government Area of the State, announced Agada’s suspension.
However, the national body of the party swiftly nullified the suspension.
Subsequently, the State Welfare Secretary of the APC, Benjamin Omakolo, was purportedly appointed as the acting chairman of the party, in the state.
Meanwhile, the party’s disciplinary committee in Apa LGA later suspended Omakolo, over allegations of fund misappropriation, gross insubordination and persistent failure to pay party dues.
Consequently, the faction aligned with the governor secured a court order from the State High Court in Makurdi, restraining Agada from functioning as the party chairman.
However, a ruling by the Benue State High Court, led by the Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, reinstated Agada as the party chairman, citing legal timelines.
Ikpambese noted that according to Order 39, Rule 3 of the Benue State High Court Procedure Rules, 2023, the interim order’s seven-day lifespan had lapsed since its issuance on February 2, 2024.
The legal inconsistency however, has plunged the Benue State APC into a protracted legal battle, prompting the national APC to issue a one-week ultimatum for members to cease their internal conflicts and withdraw all ongoing court cases.
The APC in a resolution signed by its National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, threatened to suspend or expel members failing to comply with the directive.
The NWC ordered the embattled state chairman, Austin Agada, and the governor to ensure full adherence.
Despite the directive by the party, it has been gathered that the faction loyal to Governor Alia has yet to withdraw the case from court.
The faction loyal to Governor Alia has inaugurated a parallel executive to lead the party.
This was confirmed in a recent statement by Dan Onjeh, a loyalist to the governor, who criticised the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the NWC for their stance on the Benue party crisis.
Onjeh’s letter cited the NWC’s failure to address his petition, describing it as siding with injustice within the Benue State APC.
He however demanded that the NWC either adhere to the party’s constitution or resign within seven days, asserting the rights of progressive APC members in the state.
“Let me state categorically that as long as the NWC fails to abide by the party constitution, we, the progressive members of the APC in Benue State, shall not abide by its directives. We shall not withdraw any case in court as we cannot be gagged into silence nor be cowed into submitting our necks to the slaughter slaps of injustice.
“Ubi jus ubi remedium is a Latin legal maxim that translates to ‘where there is a right, there is a remedy.’ It encapsulates the principle that when a legal right is violated, the law provides a corresponding remedy or relief to the aggrieved party,” Onjeh said.
According to the Daily Post, Agada stated that he had instructed all parties who took the party to court to withdraw their cases in deference to the national body’s directive.
He further expressed shock at the defiance of some governor’s loyalists against the NWC order.
“I am not in court against anybody; in fact, they were the ones that initiated legal action against us,” Agada said.
“Nevertheless, I have issued a circular mandating the withdrawal of all court cases following the national body’s directive.
“We seek peace within the party, yet some are reluctant to embrace this path.
“There is no question about who is the APC chairman in Benue; I remain the only chairman of the party. There is no faction anywhere,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Alia has reiterated his allegiance to the NWC, amidst the deadlock.
