Drama In APC As SGF Akume’s Men Go Against Ganduje

The internal crisis within the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) escalated on Monday as the Austin Agada-led faction dissolved by the Abdullahi Ganduje, announced the nomination of 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship candidates for the upcoming October 5 local government elections in the state.

This announcement came after a primary election held on Saturday across all wards in Benue State’s 23 local government areas.

This development unfolded amidst ongoing legal battles within the party, particularly regarding the dissolution of the Agada-led faction by APC’s National Chairman, Ganduje. The Agada-led executives had previously taken legal action against Ganduje, accusing him of ignoring a court order. A Benue High Court had issued an ex parte order preventing the APC National Working Committee (NWC) from dissolving the Agada-led State Working Committee before their four-year tenure ended. However, the NWC went ahead and dissolved the committee, appointing a caretaker committee to manage the party’s affairs for six months.

This division has split the Benue APC into two factions—one led by Austin Agada, loyal to Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, and the other led by Benjamin Omakolo, aligned with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia. In response to the recent primaries, the Omakolo-led faction, along with the chairman of the caretaker committee appointed by the NWC, Benjamin Omale, urged party members to disregard the results of the Agada faction’s primaries, further intensifying the rift within the party.

Ganduje has maintained that the caretaker committee was established to address the ongoing crisis, but the factional divide remains as both groups continue to assert their leadership. Omale, reacting to the primaries, stated, “The Chairman of the Unity Caretaker Committee informs the APC family in the state that the party will commence the sale of forms for the forthcoming local government elections on Monday, 26th August 2024, at the party’s state secretariat, J.S. Tarka Way, Makurdi.”

The caretaker committee later took control of the Agada-led faction’s secretariat along J.S. Tarka Way in Makurdi. Speaking at the party secretariat, Terseer Agber, the Publicity Secretary under the Omakolo faction, confirmed that they were there to formally hand over to the caretaker committee and noted that their factional office had been closed.

Meanwhile, Philip Agbese, the deputy spokesman for the House of Representatives and member representing Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency, congratulated Governor Alia on the success of the party primaries reportedly conducted last Saturday by the Agada faction loyal to Akume. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Lawrence Oduh, Agbese praised Governor Alia for fostering a transparent and inclusive environment that contributed to the peaceful and orderly conduct of the primaries.