Members of the recently deposed executive of the Benue Chapter of the ruling All-Progressives Congress (APC) have dragged the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje to court. The excos led by Honourable Austin Agada are suing their party leader for contempt.
The Ganduje-led National Working Committee had appointed and inaugurated a seven-man Caretaker Committee for the Benue State chapter of the party on Wednesday. The committee has Honourable Benjamin Omale as chairman, Professor Bem Angwe as Secretary, and the Honourables James Ornguga, Terhemen Ngbea, Helen Agaigbe, Ali Francis Adah, and Richard Mzungweve as members.
The inauguration went ahead despite a Benue State High Court order directing the APC not to remove the chairman of the state chapter, Hon. Agada and his executives.
Consequently, Agada and eight others approached a Benue State High Court on Thursday and slammed contempt charges against the Ganduje-led NWC of the APC.
In a motion on notice no: MHC/1585/M/2024, the Agada-led Benue excecutives prayed the court to compel Ganduje and the NWC to adhere to the decision not to remove them from office until their four-year tenure expires.
Agada, in the affidavit, expressed surprise that on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024, at 6 p.m., Ganduje-led NWC held a meeting at which he dissolved his executive committee and appointed a caretaker committee against the earlier court order.
“That I saw on several Television stations that same evening about 8 pm and several other News media that the Benue State Working Committee of the Respondent on record has been dissolved by the Respondent against whom the leave of this Honourable court is sought,” he said.
The court said: “This Honourable Court made an order in this case on record on the 21st day of August 2024 against the Respondent. The Respondent on record is a legal personality who operates and carries out its activities through the Respondent against whom the Applicants are seeking the leave of this Honourable Court to enforce the order of this Court.
“The Respondent against the Applicants is seeking the leave of this Honourable court to enforce the order against, is the National Chairman of the Respondent on record, and is the head of the National Working Committee of the Respondent on record.
“The order of this Honourable Court dated the 21st of August 2024 was duly served on the Respondents against whom the leave Is being sought on the same 21st day of August 2024.
“The Respondent on record disobeyed the order of this Honourable Court, and for such further orders as this Honourable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
