'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The All Progressives Congress (APC) is grappling with a significant leadership crisis in Benue State following recent developments involving the party's national leadership and a local court order.
On Wednesday, the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) took the unprecedented step of dissolving the Benue State Executive Committee. This move, announced by APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, led to the immediate establishment of a seven-member caretaker committee tasked with overseeing the party's activities in the state.
The newly constituted committee is
chaired by Hon. Benjamin Omale while Prof. Bem Angwe will serve as secretary with Hon. Richard Mzungweve, Hon. James Ornguga, Hon. Barr. Terhemen Ngbea, Hon. Helen Agaigbe, and Barr. Ali Francis Adah as members.
This caretaker committee is set to serve for six months, with the objective of stabilizing the party’s operations and managing internal conflicts within the state chapter.
However, the APC's efforts to reorganize its Benue State chapter have been complicated by a recent court ruling. A Benue State High Court, under Justice Theresa Igoche, issued an ex parte order on Wednesday that bars the APC from removing the current state chairman, Hon. Augustine Agada, and his executive team. The court's directive, outlined in motion no MH/1585m/2024, instructs the APC to maintain the status quo until the end of the Agada-led committee's four-year tenure.
This legal injunction is particularly significant given the internal factionalism within the APC in Benue State. The party has been divided between supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia, who backs the Benjamin Omale-led faction, and those loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who align with the Agada-led committee.
The court order restricts the APC's ability to make changes to the Benue State Working Committee until the matter is resolved. This includes prohibiting any actions that could result in the removal or replacement of the current committee members.
The appointment of the caretaker committee and the court's injunction highlight the deep-seated conflicts within the APC in Benue State. These events underscore the ongoing power struggle and the challenges faced by the party's national leadership in managing its state chapters.
As the caretaker committee begins its mandate and the legal proceedings continue, the APC will need to navigate these turbulent waters to restore cohesion and focus on its political objectives in Benue State.
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