The crisis in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress deepened on Wednesday, as the Ehaje Ward 1 in the Owukpa of Ogbadibo Local Government Area suspended the party’s state chairman, Austin Agada, after passing a vote of no confidence in him.
The suspension of Agada was announced in a statement on Wednesday signed by eight officials of the APC Ehaje Ward 1.
But in a swift reaction, Agada declared the decision as null and void.
The ward chairman, Godwin Abah, and other officials, in a statement released on Wednesday, accused Agada of anti-party activities, adding that when invited by the executive he ignored the invitation.
“Having established a prima facia case against Augustine Agada, the Expanded Exco of APC Ehaje Ward 1 in Owukpa of Ogbadibo LGA calls on the various party organs to take note and give life to our great APC party constitution.
“By the decisions of the ward party executive, Augustine Agada, hitherto the APC Benue State Party Chairman, whom a vote of no confidence has been passed in, is thereby suspended from the party based on Article 17 sub-section V and Vi.
“We the under-listed Ward Exco and Disciplinary Committee members of the APC Ehaje Ward 1 in Owukpa of Ogbadibo LGA have, therefore, unanimously signed this ward party resolution to save our darling party, APC, in the ward from total implosion due to Comrade Augustine Agada’s political malfeasance, embarrassment and disrepute.
“To instill discipline and foster unity and generally to serve as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators of anti-party activities, this suspension takes immediate effect from today, Wednesday, 31st of January, 2024.”
But reacting, Agada said, “The purported chairman has since December 10, 2023 ceased to be the chairman of the ward and he is currently a supervisory councillor in the Ogbadibo Local Government.
“The person we have as the chairman now is Peter Onoja and beside that there are procedure to follow in discipline any erring member of the party.”
