The internal crisis within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has escalated as the dissolved state executive committee, led by Hon. Augustine Agada, has taken legal action against the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the National Working Committee (NWC) for allegedly defying a court order.
On August 21, a Benue State High Court, presided over by Justice Theresa Igoche, issued an injunction prohibiting the APC’s NWC from dissolving the Agada-led executive. Despite this order, the Ganduje-led NWC proceeded with the dissolution later that same day.
In response, Agada and eight others filed a motion on August 22, seeking to hold the NWC in contempt of court. The motion, registered under case number MHC/1585/M/2024 at the Benue State High Court, requests the enforcement of the previous ruling and urges the court to consider punitive measures against the NWC for their alleged disobedience.
According to an affidavit filed by Agada’s counsel, M.T. Aiyebo, the court order was officially served to the NWC and the National Legal Adviser at the APC’s national secretariat on Wednesday afternoon. Agada expressed shock and disbelief that, despite receiving the court order, the NWC convened a meeting just hours later, during which they dissolved his committee and appointed a caretaker committee in its place.
Agada emphasized his astonishment upon seeing the news of the dissolution broadcast across multiple television stations and other media outlets on Wednesday evening, despite the court’s explicit directive against such actions. The legal battle now intensifies, setting the stage for a protracted political confrontation within the party.