The Forum of APC Support Groups Leaders has called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take urgent action over the ongoing political crisis within the party in Benue State.
Speaking at a press conference at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, the forum’s Director General, Dr. A. K. Peters, reaffirmed their loyalty to the national leadership while condemning the actions of former Benue State APC chairman, Austin Agada, and the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
Dr. Peters recalled that in February 2024, the APC National Working Committee (NWC), acting on the powers of the National Executive Committee (NEC), dissolved the Benue State party executives and replaced them with a Unity Caretaker Committee to resolve internal conflicts. However, he lamented that the former chairman defied the party’s constitution by challenging the dissolution in court instead of following internal mechanisms.
“The former chairman took the party to court, challenging the powers of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the NEC Chairman, and the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje,” Dr. Peters stated. “Worse still, the dissolved executives forwarded their own list of candidates to the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), disregarding the party’s leadership.”
The forum also criticized the role of Benue State Chief Judge, Justice Ikpambese, accusing him of bias in handling the Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal. Dr. Peters alleged that the Chief Judge relocated the tribunal from Makurdi to Abuja without legal justification and granted waivers to petitioners, citing economic hardship.
“There is no section of the law that empowers the Chief Judge to grant such a waiver or relocate a tribunal from its state of jurisdiction,” he said. “It is an attempt to undermine the APC’s national leadership and President Tinubu’s authority.”
The forum further accused the Chief Judge of working with the opposition to destabilize the APC-led government in Benue ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We strongly observe that the Benue State Chief Judge is being used by the opposition to frustrate our performing government and attack President Tinubu,” Dr. Peters added. “Our party leadership and the presidency must take a stand now before anti-democratic forces hijack this situation.”
Reaffirming their confidence in President Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Dr. Peters called for decisive intervention to uphold party supremacy and protect democracy in Benue State.
“We insist that Mr. President must save democracy,” he said. “The decision of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee must be respected by all party faithful.”
The press conference concluded with a firm call for urgent action from the party’s national leadership to resolve the crisis and prevent further destabilization.
