Less than 24 hours after the Benue All Progressives Congress (APC) Working Committee was dissolved and a caretaker committee was formed, the party’s crisis has escalated.
The fired Augustine Agada-led committee took the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to court for alleged disobedience of order.
A Makurdi High Court on Wednesday barred the APC NWC from dissolving the Benue chapter leadership led by Agada.
On the same day, however, the party’s highest administrative organ dissolved the state executive committee.
Agada and eight others went to a Benue High Court on Thursday to file a contempt prosecution against the APC’s Ganduje-led National Working Committee.
The petitioners asked the court to order Ganduje-led NWC to uphold their choice to remain in office till the end of their four-year term in a motion on notice no. MHC/1585/M/2024.
The dissolved Benue exco further requested that the court impose a punitive punishment on the Ganduje-led NWC for their disregard for the court’s previous ruling.
In an affidavit provided by his attorney, M.T. Aiyebo, Agada stated that the Ganduje-led NWC had proper notice of the court’s ruling on Wednesday at approximately 4 p.m.
He further stated that the injunction restraining the APC under Ganduje was served at the National Legal Adviser’s office on Wednesday at 4.02pm, as well as at the party’s national headquarters.
In the affidavit, the applicant expressed surprise that on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 6 p.m., Ganduje-led NWC conducted a meeting in which he proceeded to disband his executive committee and appoint a caretaker committee, in violation of the earlier court decision.
In Essence
The conflict shows a fundamental tension between the authority of the judiciary and the decisions made by the party’s leadership. The court’s decision to bar the dissolution of the Benue APC leadership, followed almost immediately by the NWC’s decision to dissolve the state executive committee, reflects a blatant disregard for judicial authority.
This not only undermines the rule of law but also sets a dangerous precedent for how political disputes are managed within the party.
The Ganduje-led NWC’s decision to dissolve the Benue APC Exco despite a court injunction calls into doubt the party’s leadership’s commitment to internal democracy.
Political parties are supposed to follow their own regulations and observe legal processes, particularly when resolving internal issues. Ignoring court orders undermines the party’s legitimacy and may alienate members who believe their views and concerns are being silenced.
