Benue APC Crisis deepens as Court blocks dissolution of Agada-led EXCO

From Scholastica Hir Makurdi

The ongoing crisis in the Benue State All Progressives Congress, (APC) has deepened further as the recently dissolved Austin Agada-led State Working Committee has secured an extended interim injunction restraining the APC from dissolving them.

Recall that on August 21, 2024, the High Court of Benue State sitting in Makurdi issued an interim injunction preventing the dissolution of the Benue State APC Executive Committee.

This injunction was however allegedly shunned by the National party executives as it went ahead to dissolve the state executives and constituted a seven-member caretaker committee comprising of Hon. Benjamin Omale as Chairman, Prof. Bem Angwe as Secretary with Richard Mzungweve, James Ornguga, Barr. Terhemen Ngbea, Helen Agaigbe, Barr. Ali Francis Adah as members.

The Committee which was inaugurated by the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the Party’s National Secretariat on August 21, 2024, was given six months to serve.

But on Wednesday August 28 when the adjourned case came up, the Austin Agada’s legal team led by Barr. M.T. Alyebo, prayed the court to maintain the status quo and extend the injunction.

Counsel for APC, Yahaya D. Dangana SAN, who was backed by a team of seven lawyers, including the Attorney General of the state, argued that the APC was within its rights to dissolve the committee and serve a notice of preliminary objection in court.

Dangana stated that no further steps could be taken in the proceedings until the objection was addressed.

However, M.T. Alyebo, representing Agada and the other applicants, refuted this claim, asserting that the filing of a preliminary objection did not bar the court from exercising its authority to preserve the status quo.

Alyebo urged the court to extend the lifespan of the interim order, a request that was met with strong resistance from Dangana.

In a decisive ruling, Justice Theresa Igoche extended the interim order by another seven days, dismissing Dangana’s speculation that the injunction was served after the dissolution.

The court clarified that the injunction was issued and served in the “morning,” while the dissolution of the committee occurred in the “evening.”

The court stated that Agada’s leadership remains intact for now. It again adjourned the case to September 2, 2024 for hearing of the substantive motion and other applications.