Benue State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Austin Agada, has been suspended by eight ward members of Ehaje council ward.
According to a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday, the party passed a vote of no confidence and suspended him from office.
The statement which was signed by the ward chairman, Godwin Abah and seven others accused the chairman of anti-party activities.
The exco said when he was invited to defend himself, he (the chairman) failed to appear.
“Having established a prima facia case against Comrade Augustine Agada, the Expanded Exco of APC Ehaje Ward | in Owukpa of Ogbadibo LGA calls on the various party organs to take note and give life to our great APC party constitution.
“In the decisions, this ward party exco has taken that Comrade Augustine Agada hitherto the APC Benue State Party Chairman whom a vote of no confidence has been passed on him by his party ward exco 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 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,” the statement reads in parts.
The ward members therefore called on the relevant organs to appoint another person according to the party constitution.
Meanwhile, the state chairman, Agada described the suspension as null and void.
He said that the purported chairman of the ward exco that signed the statement had since December 10, 2023 ceased to be the ward chairman.
Continuing, he stated that the constitution of the party has procedures to be followed in discipline of any erring member.
According to him, “The purported chairman had since December 10, 2023 ceased to be the chairman of the ward and he is currently a supervisory councillor in Ogbadibo Local government.
“The person we have as the chairman now is Peter Onoja and besides that, there are procedures to follow in discipline any erring member of the party.”
Agada said that the ward executive comprises 27 members, hence, eight members did not have power to suspend him, saying ‘the exercise was a nulity’.
He explained that the delegation from the national working committee visited the state on Tuesday where they discussed ways to move the party forward in the state.