From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Benue State Chapter State Working Committee (SWC) has asked its state Chairman, Comrade Paul Salem to step down and answer petitions against him.
This formed part of the Party’s resolutions reached at an emergency meeting of the state working committee held in Makurdi, the state capital earlier this week and made available to newsmen.
The resolution was signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Comrade Moses Haruna and sent to APGA National Secretariat, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Department of State Security Service (DSS), Commissioner of Police Benue State, leader of the Party, all Benue APGA Candidates as well as all media practitioners.
The embattled chairman was also directed to hand over to his deputy, Samuel Idoko who is to act as Chairman pending the determination of the petition against him (Salem).
“The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Benue State Chapter State Working Committee (SWC) held an emergency meeting on 5th of September 2022 to resolve on issues ahead of the 2023 general elections. Excerpts of the resolutions are as follows;
“Comrade Paul Salem has been asked to step down as Chairman of Benue APGA to answer to the petitions against him for transparency and fairness as his continued stay in office will be unfair and counterproductive in the disciplinary committee hearing,
“That the Deputy Chairman Idoko Samuel takes over as the Acting Chairman APGA Benue State to keep the party running and forestall stagnation of party activities.
“That Comrade Paul Salem be given time to reply the petition against him in writing to the Disciplinary Committee as he has promised to do so in the shortest possible time.
“That an expanded stakeholders meeting would be held a day after submission of Paul Salem reply to the petitions against him to the disciplinary committee and due notification of SWC.
“That from the above resolutions of the SWC all official party activities, correspondences and engagements be handled by the ACTING CHAIR MAN pending any further resolutions,” the statement concluded.