By Terrence Kuanum, APC Stalwart
We read in the media of the purported suspension of the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, Comrade Austin Agada, by his Ehaje ward Executive Committee of Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State.
It is crystal clear to every sane person that, that suspension is illegal, null and void as the person who signed as APC Chairman for Ehaje Ward of Ogbadibo Local Government Area, Godwin O. Abah, is not the ward chairman of the party, but the current Supervisory Councilor of Works, Ogbadibo Local Government Area,who was appointed by the governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia.
The current APC ward chairman of Ehaje ward is Hon. Peter Onoja, who became chairman at a mini Congress in December 2023.
It is also necessary to state that, the current ward Chairman of Ehaje in Ogbadibo Local Government Area, Hon. Peter Onoja, has since communicated the Local Government Party Secretariat to disclaim the purported suspension carried out by desperados without recourse to constitutional provisions of the party and by people who lack the constitutional powers to do so.
This fact has been collaborated by Hon.Andrew Edache, the APC Chairman for Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, in his press release shortly after the news of the purported suspension of Agada hit the social media.
Furthermore, the petition relied upon to issue the purported suspension did not emanate from the polling unit.
So, even if Hon. Abah was still the ward chairman of Ehaje Ward, the Ward Executive Committee of the party lacks the powers to adjucate over a petition that did not emanate from the polling unit as clearly stated under Article 21 of the APC Constitution.
We are not ignorant of the fact that a mercenary who has been hired to destroy himself, Daniel Onjeh, backed by Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State are behind the plot to remove Austin Agada from office.
Recall that, few days ago, Onjeh claimed his electoral woes in the February 25th, 2023, Benue South Senatorial election were caused by the capacity chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, Comrade Austin Agada.
The campaign to remove Agada has been on since Agada and the hardworking State Working Committee refused to compromise the principles of the party and the local government chairmen of the APC in Benue State as well as the State Vice-Chairmen passed a vote of no confidence on the Executive Governor of Benue State, Hycinth Alia.
The plot thickened after the governor failed to force his aide, Maurice Orwough, as the Party’s candidate for the February 3rd, 2024, Guma 1 State Constituency bye-election.
As you already know, Governor Alia has been under pressure to restore democratic rule at the local government level as he had suspended the elected local government officials that he met in office and replaced them with a caretaker committee that is unknown to the Nigerian Constitution.
The governor’s camp know that with Agada as chairman, they will not be able to force their choiced aspirants on the party as candidates in the event the governor wants to conduct local government elections in the state as they know Agada will insist on transparent process.
They have referenced what happened in the Guma 1 State Constituency bye-election that has made them to endorse the Labour Party for the February 3rd, 2024 Guma 1 State Constituency bye-election and have resolved to use all available means, including unconstitutional means to get Agada out of office.
As you already know, they sponsored hoodlums yesterday to stage an anti-Agada protest at the state Secretariat of the APC in Makurdi, popularly known as Tinubu House, located at No.73 J.S Tarka Way, Makurdi.
What happened yesterday is just one of the schemes they have marshalled out in their ‘Agada must go’ plot.
I however use this opportunity to call on those after Agada to desist from their already failed mission, especially as the National Secretariat of the party yesterday came out and declared Agada as the bonafide State Chairman of the APC in Benue state.
They should rather use their energy in bringing dividends of democracy to Benue people and also support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to fulfil the renewed hope agenda of the Tinubu administration.
Agada’s tenure as State Chairman has produced a governor,2 Senators,10 House of Representatives members and 21 State Asssmbly members, a feat that is unprecedented in the history of Benue APC.
Comrade Agada has done extremely well and his track records are resonating with the people who are patiently waiting to reward him soon with a higher assignment or consolidate him.
