Politics
Agada led Benue APC sues Ganduje over dissolution
The crisis rocking the Benue chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday took a twist when the aggrieved executive members of the party who were dissolved by the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, dragged him to court for ignoring the exparte order restraining the National Working Committee from carrying out the action.
The development comes barely 24 hours after a Benue High Court sitting ordered the APC not to remove Agada and the current executives of the party.
A copy of the exparte order granted by Justice Theresa Igoche in motion No MH /1585m/2024 stopped the Ganduje-led NWC from sacking the Austin Agada-led State Working Committee until the expiration of their four-year tenure.
The Benue chapter of the APC had been at loggerheads with Governor Hyacinth Alia over the leadership of the party in the state.
While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, is in support of the Agada-led state working committee, Alia, on the other hand, has thrown its weight behind the Benjamin Omakolo-led faction.
But the ruling APC ignored the court order and announced the dissolution of the Benue exco on Wednesday and immediately inaugurated a seven-man caretaker Committee to take over the affairs of the party at the state level for six months.
The newly installed committee has Benjamin Omale and Prof Bem Angwe as the chairman and secretary respectively.
Other members include Richard Mzungweve, James Ornguga, Terhemen Ngbea, Helen Agaigbe and Ali Adah.
Reacting to the action, Agada, alongside eight other executive members, on Thursday, approached the Benue High Court to demand that contempt of court charges be slammed on Ganduje and his NWC members.
In motion No: MHC/1585/M/2024, the Agada-led exco prayed the court to compel the party leadership to adhere to the decision not to remove them from office until the expiration of their four-year tenure.
They also begged the court to issue a punitive measure against the NWC over its disobedience of the earlier restraining order.
Agada had, in the affidavit, expressed surprise that in the evening of Wednesday, 21st August 2024, at 6pm, the Ganduje-led NWC held a meeting where he went ahead to dissolve his executive committee and appointed a caretaker committee against the earlier court order.
“That I saw on several television stations that same evening about 8pm 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,” the affidavit read.
When called for a reaction, the National Deputy Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, confirmed sighting the earlier restraining order but couldn’t clarify if the party has been served the new court paper.
Duru, however, declined to speak further on the issue.
He said, “I have not seen the contempt proceeding. But I have sighted the court order restraining the NWC and the party from dissolving their exco. However, lawyers know what they should do.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Friday declared that he’s still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Wike’s comment followed his expulsion from the party by the faction led by National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki.
Turaki had formally dispatched expulsion certificates to 11 prominent party chieftains, including Wike, former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Umaru Bature, Kamarudeen Ajibade, SAN, Abdurahman Muhammad Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.
He said their expulsion was aimed at sanitising the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the development on Friday, Wike dismissed the claim while assuring that he would continue to work with other party members in making PDP a relevant opposition party.
The minister spoke while addressing journalists after inspecting the Interchange bridge and road linking Gwarinpa with Jahi and direct to Katampe, Gishiri and Maitama.
He said, “Those that are factionalized are bound to leave the party, I’m still in PDP and you can see that not everybody has left.
“We still have good numbers and we will continue to work together and that’s what I have said to the party. Put your house in order because at the end of the day, if you don’t put your house in order, it’s the party that is losing.
“So those who are worried, we can work together to see how the party can remain a relevant opposition.”
The governments of Abia and Imo States have announced the launching of a joint security taskforce and surveillance along the Aba-Owerri expressway, starting from Owerrinta in Abia State all the way to Owerri, Imo State.
The launch followed recent attacks by criminals on the expressway, including kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities.
The formation of the joint security taskforce and surveillance was announced by Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Media and Publicity.
His statement read in part: “Arising from a strategic emergency security meeting held today, 4th December, 2025, by the Governors of Abia and Imo Sates at the Imo State Government Owerri House, His Excellency Governor Alex Otti and His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodinma resolved to set up a joint security Taskforce that shall consist of Soldiers, Naval Personnel, Police Officers , DSS Personnel, and other Government Security Agencies.
“The joint security Taskforce shall, starting from tomorrow 5th December 2025, patrol the road 24 hours nonstop, while carrying out massive surveillance in the surrounding bushes using sophisticated drones and other modern security equipment.”
According to the statement, Governor Alex Otti commended the Governor of Imo State for arresting the criminals who carried out an attack on His advanced team and other passengers a few days ago.
“The two Governors, while assuring citizens plying the road on a daily basis and those returning home for Christmas of their safety and security, warn that there would be severe consequences for any criminal caught on the road going forward”, Ekeoma concluded.
President Bola Tinubu has transmitted to the senate two lists of 34 career and 31 non career ambassadors nominees for screening and confirmation.
Prominent names listed as non career ambassadors include Reno Omokri, Femi Fani-Kayode, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, Victor Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Also listed as non career ambassadors nominees are Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Vice Admiral Ete Ibas, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator Nora Daduut, Fatima Ajimobi, and Senator Ita Enang among others.
The two lists brings to 68 number of persons nominated so far as ambassadors awaiting confirmation by the Senate.
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