The leadership conflict within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a dramatic turn this week. On Thursday, the dissolved state executive members, led by Augustine Agada, took legal action against the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accusing him of contempt of court.
The trouble began when a Benue State High Court issued an order on Wednesday, instructing the Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) not to dissolve the state chapter’s executive committee, which is led by Agada. However, despite the court’s clear directive, the NWC proceeded to dissolve the Benue State executive committee later that same day.
In response, Agada and eight other members of the dissolved executive team filed a contempt motion against Ganduje and the NWC on Thursday. They are asking the court to enforce its original ruling and penalize Ganduje and the NWC for disobeying the court’s order.
In their motion, the Agada-led group requested the court to compel Ganduje and the NWC to respect the court’s decision and allow them to complete their four-year term in office. The group also called for punitive measures against the NWC for disregarding the court’s authority.
Agada’s lawyer, M.T. Aiyebo, presented an affidavit stating that the court’s order was officially served to the NWC on Wednesday afternoon, at around 4 p.m. The affidavit further noted that the order was also delivered to the office of the APC’s National Legal Adviser at the party’s national headquarters.
Despite this, the NWC held a meeting at 6 p.m. the same day, during which they decided to dissolve the Benue State executive committee and appoint a caretaker committee to take over. Agada expressed shock at this move, particularly as it directly violated the court order that had been issued just hours earlier.
Agada’s affidavit also mentioned that the news of the dissolution was broadcast on several television stations and reported by multiple news outlets later that evening, further confirming that the NWC had acted in defiance of the court’s ruling.
By filing contempt charges, Agada and his colleagues are seeking to hold Ganduje and the NWC accountable for their actions, hoping that the court will enforce its authority and restore the dissolved executive committee.
This legal dispute highlights the deepening leadership crisis within the Benue State chapter of the APC. The outcome of this court battle could have significant implications for the party’s future in the state, particularly as it faces the challenge of uniting its members ahead of upcoming elections.
