Tag: APC

The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District at the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu on Sunday, August 25, distanced himself from various controversial statements reportedly made by Chief Okey Ezeala, the publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State.

Kalu cautioned Ezeala to distinguish his personal opinions from those of the party.

In a statement issued by his media office and signed by George Maduka in Abuja, Kalu urged Ezeala to stop using his name to advance his controversial views.

The statement reads in part: “Okey Ezeala does not work in the Senate Office of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. He does not speak for the Senator and cannot express opinions that contradict those of the distinguished senator.

Read Also: SEC vows to eradicate unclaimed dividends with technology

“The former Governor’s wish is to have a stronger and united APC. He has been doing everything possible to strengthen the party for a more prosperous outing in the state. He does not believe in the divisive statements from Ezeala and he does not support the name-calling and attack on party leaders.

“Senator Kalu strongly believes in APC and as a leader in APC, he also believes the party deserves to win all the elective positions from Councilorship to Presidency.”

Kalu also urged Ezeala to seek the counsel and opinion of the party executives led by the chairman of the party, Dr Kingsley Ononugbo before making public statements.

He noted that statements that do not promote peace and unity among the party members do not reflect his views and identity and should be ignored.

One of the factions fighting for the soul of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has sued the National Working Committee (NWC). 

The faction, led by Augustine Agada, accused the NWC of disobeying a court order.

This happened less than 24 hours after the dissolution of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party.

A Makrudi High Court on Wednesday gave an order restraining the APC NWC from dissolving the party’s Benue State executive, led by Agada. But the party’s highest administrative organ, on the same day, dissolved the said state exco.

Reacting to the alleged contempt yesterday, Agada, alongside eight others, filed a contempt charge against the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led NWC of the party at the Benue State High Court.

In a motion on notice, the applicants prayed the court to compel the APC NWC to abide by the decision not to remove them from office until the expiration of their four-year tenure.

Read Also: You’re a testament to hard work, selfless service, Tinubu tells Ariwoola

The dissolved Benue exco also prayed the court to sanction the Ganduje-led NWC over its alleged disobedience of the earlier decision of the court.

Agada, in an affidavit deposed to by his counsel, M. T. Aiyebo, insisted that the Ganduje-led NWC was duly served the order of the court on Wednesday around 4 p.m.

The party chieftain averred that the service of the order restraining the NWC was also served at the office of the National Legal Adviser at 4.02 p.m on Wednesday at the party’s national secretariat.

In the affidavit, the applicant expressed surprise that in the evening of the same day (at 6 p.m), the Ganduje-led NWC held a meeting where it dissolved the Benue State executive committee and appointed a caretaker committee against the earlier court order.

A group, Ibarapa APC Initiative, has expressed shock and sadness about the sudden death of All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Oyo State, Chief Isaac Omodewu.

It described his demise as a loss to the progressives political family in Oyo State, saying the void created by his departure would be difficult to fill.

Read Also: You’re a testament to hard work, selfless service, Tinubu tells Ariwoola

A statement signed by its Chairman, Wale Adeoye and Secretary, Alhaja Ramota Okemakinde, said Oyo APC had lost a bridge-builder, a grassroots mobiliser, a political activist, a seasoned strategist and a distinguished public servant.

The body described Omodewu as a seasoned strategist, whose political acumen guided the APC to victory in the 2023 general election.

It extended condolences to his family, friends, associates, state APC Executive Committee and the entire APC family in Oyo State.

Less than 24 hours after dissolution of Benue All Progressives Congress (APC) Working Committee and inauguration of a caretaker committee, the crisis rocking the party has taken a new dimension.

The sacked Augustine Agada-led committee dragged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to court for alleged disobedience of order.

A Makurdi High Court on Wednesday restrained the APC NWC from dissolving the Benue chapter executive led by Agada.

But on the same day, the party’s highest administrative organ dissolved the state exco.

Agada, with eight others, on Thursday approached a Benue High Court to file a contempt charge against the Ganduje-led NWC of the APC.

Read Also: List of governors who pledged to implement N70,000 minimum wage

In a motion on notice no: MHC/1585/M/2024, the applicants prayed the court to compel Ganduje-led NWC to adhere to the decision not to remove them from office until the expiration of their 4 years tenure.

The dissolved Benue exco also prayed the court to issue a punitive measure against the Ganduje led NWC over the disobedience of the earlier decision of the court.

Agada, in an affidavit deposed to by his counsel M.T Aiyebo, insisted that the Ganduje-led NWC was duly served the order of the court on Wednesday at about 4 pm.

He added that the service of the order restraining the APC under Ganduje was also served at the office of the National Legal Adviser at 4.02pm on Wednesday at the party’s national secretariat.

In the affidavit, the applicant expressed surprise that in the evening of Wednesday, 21st August 2024, by 6 pm, 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.

…bars party’s NWC from removing Beke’s leadership

The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an ex-parte order restraining the All Progressives Congress (APC) from holding its scheduled congresses in Rivers State.

The court ordered that the national leadership of the APC led by its Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and its Secretary, Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru should not go ahead to conduct the ward, local government, and state congresses scheduled for 11th, 16th, and 26th October 2024.

Other defendants in the suits filed by Peter Ohochukwu, Haija Ndidi-Chukwuma for themselves and all elected executive members of APC in the state were the APC, Inspector-General of Police, Nigerian Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Read Also: Ogun APC bans ‘unauthorised meetings’ ahead council poll

Justice Godwin Ollor in his ruling on the ex-parte motion also restrained the defendants either for themselves, their men, officers, or agents from conducting, supervising, holding, monitoring, or in any other manner conducting elections to make up Rivers State executive committee.

Justice Ollor insisted that his ruling was based on the merit of the application and oral application by the plaintiffs’ Lawyer, Collins Dike.

The judge also restrained the national leadership of the party against any plan to suspend the Emeka Beke-led executives of the party in the state.

The court further restrained the National Chairman of APC, the Secretary, and the APC from doing anything to interfere in the activities of the elected executive of APC in the state led by Chief Beke pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice for interlocutory injection.

Justice Ollor adjourned till September 9, 2024, for a hearing of motion on notice.

• Court bars party from sacking Agada, others

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday constituted a seven-man caretaker committee for its Benue State chapter.

Members of the committee are: Benjamin Omale (Chairman), and a former Director General of Human Rights Commission, Prof. Ben Angwe (Secretary).

Other members are: Richard Mzungweve, James Orguga, Terhemen Ngbea, Helen Agaigbe, and Ali Francis Adah.

The setting up of the caretaker committee followed the dissolution of the Austin Agada-led State Working Committee (SWC) by the party’s NWC during its weekly meeting at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

The development came on the heels of a Benue High Court order stopping the NWC from removing the Agada-led SWC.

APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who inaugurated the committee, directed its members to unite the various factions of the party in Benue State.

Read Also: APC inaugurates seven-man caretaker committee for Benue

He said: “There are lots of problems we are having in the state – factions and counter-factions, litigations, counter-litigations. The National Working Committee will not allow that to continue. The party is an institution. You must be united.

“To solve the problem, we follow our constitution. Therefore, the NWC has today dissolved the Executive Committee and at the same time the NWC has approved the constitution of a seven-man caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party for the next six months.

“Also, since you are going for local government election, and the party is the only organ that can certify candidature of any contestant, you are saddled with the responsibility of conducting primaries for those who intend to become chairmen and councillors of their local government areas.

“We urge to unite and continue dialogue with major stakeholders so that we will bring all of you together so you work together.”

Reporters got from the APC national secretariat yesterday in Abuja a copy of the order via an ex parte order granted by Justice Theresa Igoche on the motion.

The court directed the Ganduje-led NWC not to remove the Agada-led SWC until the expiration of their four-year tenure.

The Benue State chapter has two factions: the one having Governor Hyacinth Alia supporting the Benjamin Omakolo-led faction, and the second having the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume backing the Agada-led working committee.

The judge, in granting the ex parte application by Agada and eight others, restrained APC – either by itself, its privies, assigns, workers, officers, servants, agents, representatives, or whomsoever, howsoever described – from removing, changing, replacing or howsoever terminating his tenure and other members of the Benue State Working Committee of the respondent until the expiration of their four-year term in office pending the determination of the motion on Notice.

Addressing reporters at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Agada said he had submitted the court judgment to the party.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted a seven-man Caretaker Committee for the Benue chapter of the party.

The caretaker Committee members are Hon. Benjamin Omale as Chairman; former Director General of Human Rights Commission and Prof. Ben Angwe as Secretary. Other members are Richard Mzungweve, James Orguga, Barr Terhemen Ngbea, Helen Agaigbe and Barr Ali Francis Adah.

This followed the dissolution of the Hon. Austin Agada-led State Working Committee by the NWC at its weekly meeting at the National Secretariat in Abuja.

The development came on the heels of a Benue High Court order stopping the NWC of the party from removing Agada-led Working Committee.

Inaugurating the Caretaker Committee, APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, directed it to unite the various factions of the party in the state, adding that they are saddled with the responsibility of conducting the forthcoming local election in the state.

Addressing the committee members, Ganduje said:”There are lots of problems we are having in the State. Factions and counter-factions; litigations, counter-litigations. These, the National Working Committee will not allow that to continue. The party is an institution, you must be united.

“So in order to solve the problem, we followed our Constitution and therefore the National Working Committee has today dissolved the Executive Committee and at the same time the National Working Committee has approved the constitution of a seven-man Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party for the next six months.

“Also, since you are going for local government election, and the party is the only organ that can certify candidature of any contestant, therefore you are saddled with the responsibility of conducting primaries for those who intend to become chairmen and councilors of their local government areas.

Read Also: Benue court halts dissolution of Agada-led APC Excos

“We urge to unite, continue dialogue with major stakeholders so that we will bring all of you together so you work together.”

A copy of the order via an exparte order granted by Justice Theresa Igoche in motion no MH /1585m/2024 was made available to newsmen at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Wednesday
The court directed the Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) not to remove Hon. Austin Agada-led State Working Committee until the expiration of its four-year tenure.

The Benue chapter of the APC is split along Governor Hyacinth Alia, who is in support of Benjamin Omakolo-led faction and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in support of the Agada-led working committee of the party.