JOHNSON BABAJIDE writes on why the crisis between the two main power brokers in the Benue State chapter All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to have defied intervention from influential forces in the state.
It’s no retreat, no surrender between the two camps involved in the battle for the soul of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State despite the intervention by various stakeholders in the politics of the state. Neither has the intervention of the influential Tiv Area Traditional Council succeeded in forcing the belligerent forces to sheathe the swords. The traditional institution chaired by the paramount ruler of Tiv nation, Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse had on Easter Monday brokered peace between Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The two leaders have been embroiled in supremacy tussle over the structure of the APC in the state. While the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party and a number of other prominent stakeholders are loyal to Akume, the state governor, who is piqued by the development, inaugurated a factional group headed by Benjamin Omakolo. But since the intervention of the traditional rulers, unfolding events showed that the reconciliation may have totally collapsed.
The Omakolo-led team, with the support of the state government, has consistently deployed its machinery to whittle down the Austin Agada-headed APC state working committee. For instance, the government banned all forms of intra-party and inter-group meetings in the state till further notice. According to the statement issued by the governor’s Chief of Staff, Paul Biam, the ban became necessary because of the perceived volatility of the state.
Since the announcement, efforts by the Agada-led SWC to hold meetings at the party secretariat located at J.S. Tarka way in the state capital, Makurdi, have been frustrated with the deployment of stern policemen and bare-chested youths to barricade the party’s secretariat. Nonetheless, the party secretariat at Kashim Ibrahim way led by Omakolo is always a beehive of activities. As a result, the Agada committee may have been edged out in the preparation for the forthcoming local government election. His team has announced the composition of members of zoning committee for the election. A statement signed by the state public secretary, Daniel Ihomun proclaimed the process that would lead to the conduct of the poll. The statement read in parts: “Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State, Comrade Austin Agada, has approved the following names as members of the zoning committee for the forthcoming local government council elections, following guidelines and timetable of activities released by the State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC). “The committee is to be inaugurated at the party Secretariat Congress Hall of the State Secretariat of the party, No. 75 J.S Tarka Way, Makurdi on the 19th, April 2024 by 12:00 noon.”
A total of 21 members drawn from the three senatorial districts make up the zoning committee. So, the party further directed local government party chairmen and ward chairmen to liaise with their respective party excos and stakeholders to perfect the zoning arrangements for the chairmanship and councilorship positions at the local government and ward levels to ease the committee’s assignment.
But in a swift counter-action, the Omakolo camp informed party members to disregard the directive. In a statement issued by the public secretary, Terseer Agber, it described the Agada-led SWC as non-existing. “The Benue state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Honourable Benjamin Omakolo wishes to inform our loyal members and the general public that no committee of any kind has been formed by the SEC of the APC which he is the chairman. He therefore calls on all party members and the general public to disregard any release not endorsed by him or the state publicity secretary of the party, Honourable Terseer Agber.
“The SEC of the All Progressives Congress would ordinarily have ignored such baseless shenanigans by a rejected and disgruntled group of party members, but for the fact that silence would most likely mislead our teeming members and supporters within and beyond the state. The chairman wonders how a non-existing state executive council could sit at Abuja and constitute an elections zoning committee for Benue state. Honourable Benjamin Omakolo calls on all party faithful to remain calm and wait for the time the SEC of the party led by him would constitute the committee for the zoning of elective positions,” the statement read in parts.
Contacted on the smouldering crisis, the state publicity secretary of the Omakolo team, Agber accused the APC national secretariat of being lackadaisical about the crisis plaguing the party in the state. He said: “As I am talking to you, we have only one party in Benue State and that’s the one led by Omakolo. You should know that Agada was suspended and the court further restrained him from parading himself as party chairman. It’s just because some people who are miscellaneous are using Agada but he knows himself that he is no longer the chairman, that is the reason he can’t come to Benue and the secretariat is under lock and key.”
When reminded of the directive given by the national secretariat to both parties to withdraw pending cases in court to allow intervention, Agber affirmed that the case at the appeal instituted by Omakolo, is yet to be withdrawn insisting on the national secretariat to play fatherly role by ascertaining the true position of things in the state. He said: “It’s unfortunate that the national secretariat of the party has not invited anyone to find out what is happening in the state; they just sit down in Abuja, dishing out order and taking a unilateral decision that we should withdraw case from court. They supposed to come to talk to the two parties involved in the dispute. At no time the national secretariat intervene. The last we heard was that the governor of Kwara state was appointed to mediate with the problem of the party in the North Central zone and we are yet to see him.
The Agada-led SWC, however, described the Omakolo team as a non-governmental organization that is carrying out illegality in the state. According to the state publicity secretary of Agada exco, Daniel Ihomun, the only recognised party structure in the state is under Agada, which he said was elected for a four-year term. He said: “There are no factions in APC in the state, the party in the state is chaired by Austin Agada. He is elected to four years term of office and his tenure is yet to elapse. So, we remain the only exco of the party. If you hear of any other one, it’s non-governmental organisation, it cannot be exco. APC is a party guided by law and the constitution, it’s supreme, of course, the national secretariat of the party has stated that there are no faction in the state. Agada remains the chairman, the national secretariat knows that Agada was not suspended, court has also confirmed that.”
Speaking on the closure of the Agada-led exco office, Ihomun accused the state government of using machinery to suppress the camp. According to Ihomun, “Our party secretariat was closed because of miscreants that have been attacking it. The first time was when the party exco from Agada council ward in Ogbadibo visited the secretariat to clear the air that no one suspended the chairman. Some thugs invaded the secretariat with policemen and even shot at me and the chairman and the bullet was used as an exhibit. Since then, attack on the secretariat has continued using thugs, this is the reason we don’t have access to the secretariat.”
Ihomun, who said that the party is not bothered about the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia not inviting the Agada exco to any of his functions, adding, “He (the governor) is head of his government; he decides on who to invite to his functions; if he invites the party, we will go and we are not worried about that,” Ihomun.
The Agada exco, which submitted that its group was warming up for the local government election slated for July 6, however, warned the aspirants to be conscious of the constitution of the country that only political parties can sponsor candidate for any election.
“On local government election, we are on it, the party has released list of zoning committees for chairmen and councillorship, we are preparing. Aspirants interested in the election will come to the party to purchase their forms, we are ready to go into the election and win. Don’t forget that the constitution of Nigeria doesn’t give room for independent candidacy, those who are patronizing non governmental organisation should know that only political parties can sponsor candidate for an elections,” Ihomun said.
ALSO READ: FRSC warns motorists against storing extra fuel in vehicles
