Benue: APC crisis deepens as ward suspends state chairman

The crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State deepened on Wednesday as a ward executive of the party announced the suspension of its state chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, for alleged anti-party activities. 

Our correspondent reports that in a swift reaction, however, Agada maintained that he remains the APC chairman in the state and backed by all the state working executives who flanked him at a press conference in Makurdi.

Agada was earlier on Wednesday suspended by the APC Ehaje Ward 1 executive of his Owukpa hometown district in Ogbadigbo LGA of the state. 

The APC Ehaje 1 Ward Chairman, Godwin Abah, on behalf of eight other members of the executive who signed and passed a vote of no confidence on the state party chairman, told journalists in Makurdi that Agada’s suspension followed his refusal to face a disciplinary committee over alleged anti-party activities. 

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They alleged that having received a petition from a party member, Daniel Onjeh, who was the 2023 senatorial candidate of APC in the state, also addressed to the APC National Working Committee (NWC), they (ward executives) set up a disciplinary committee which invited Agada to defend himself in line with the party’s constitution.

The ward executives, however, alleged that Agada “blatantly refused, ignored and disrespected the disciplinary committee by refusing to attend nor communicate back to the committee.”

The ward chairman in a statement signed by the eight-member ward executives, noted that they were left with no other decision than to suspend the state chairman after their leadership reviewed his conduct in the 2023 general elections. 

But, the state chairman, Agada, in his reaction, said Godwin Abah, who led those who purportedly suspended him, was not even the ward chairman but an ousted supervisory councillor at Ogbadigbo LGA.

Agada said the alleged suspension was a nullity.

He named one Peter Onoja as the authentic chairman of the APC Ehaje 1 Ward, adding that the members of the executive were 27 rather than the eight being paraded by the Godwin Abah group.

“I remain the APC chairman in Benue State,” Agada maintained.

Similarly, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party said it had set aside the suspension.

The National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a statement on Wednesday said “The party has directed that the said suspension and all related actions in the matter be, and are hereby, set aside pending further review and decision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on the matter.

“Therefore, Mr Augustine Agada remains a bonafide member, and the chairman of the Benue State chapter of our party.”