The forum of All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Groups Leaders have hinted that the political tussle in Benue State might harm President Bola Tinubu’s ambition and the APC if not handled urgently.
They therefore called on Tinubu and the APC national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Gandje, to immediately wade in and arrest the threat to democracy in the state.
The forum said the unfolding political and judicial crisis was being used by the opposition to frustrate the APC government in Benue State and directly attack Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The political impasse in Benue State recently culminated in the suspension of the Benue Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
However, the APC support groups at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday insisted that the party leadership and the presidency must take a stand now before some anti-democratic forces and enemies of the party will “hijack the ongoing evil plot.”
Dr AK Peters, who spoke on behalf of the groups, lamented the crisis rocking APC in Benue after the National Working Committee (NWC) constituted a unity caretaker committee led by Benjamin Omale which the former chairman, Austin Agada is challenging.
“We recalled that the National Working Committee of our great party acted on the powers of National Executive Committee (NEC) dissolved the Benue State Executives and constituted a unity caretaker committee in February 2024, bringing to an end, the warring factions within the party in Benue State.
“It is a known fact that, after the Caretaker Committee was inaugurated, the former state chairman Austin Agada went to court to challenge the powers of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the chairman of NEC and the national chairman of our party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, over the dissolution of Benue State chapter and the inauguration of the unity caretaker committee.
“The dissolved exco went ahead and forwarded a list of candidates to the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) challenging the leadership of the party. You may also recall that the National Working Committee set up a screening and primary elections committee that see through the primary elections organised by the caretaker committee of the party and subsequently another committee for the Local Government elections in Benue.
“As the forum of support groups leaders, we are disappointed that the former chairman went to court to challenge the party against the party’s constitution which states that members must exhaust all internal mechanisms to resolve an issue before going to the court, yet, the National leadership is just watching,” he said.
According to Peters, the ongoing crisis in Benue is as a result of the decision of the NWC acting on the powers of NEC which changed the leadership of APC in the state and the party must wade in to defend its decision by maintaining party supremacy as enshrined in its constitution.
He alleged that the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese had taken side with the dissolved executive to undermine President Tinubu and Ganduje’s leadership, saying it was unacceptable because there is a thick line between justice and injustice.
“We have it in good authority that the Chief Judge of Benue State has relocated the Benue State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal from Makurdi to Abuja after granting a waiver to the petitioners not to pay security deposit as required by the law, citing hardship in the land.
“There is no section of the constitution or laws of Benue State that empowers the Chief Judge to grant waiver to the petitioners or move a local government tribunal from the state of jurisdiction to Abuja. Lawyers have started arguing that any decision taken by the tribunal in Abuja is null and void as an election conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission can only be entertained in the state.
“The Chief Judge in his circular cited security reasons, meanwhile he has been going to his office amidst his purported removal by the Benue State House of Assembly without any security threat. The Benue State government which is the founder of the tribunal also issued a statement insisting that the government of the State is not aware of the relocation and assured the public that it could provide adequate security for the tribunal.
“It is now clear that there is an attempt to truly undermine the party’s national leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Benue State Chief Judge who has abandoned justice for trivial sentiment.
“We strongly call on the national leadership of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr Abdullahi Umar Gandje to immediately wade into the pending danger and threat to democracy in Benue State. We stand by the decision of the party and the confidence reposed on Mr. President and our National Chairman at the just concluded NEC of our party.
“We insist that Mr President must save democracy as the decision of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee must be respected by all party faithful, “ Peters added.
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