Court Orders Reinstatement Of Dissolved Benue APC Executives
A Makurdi High Court has ordered the reinstatement of Austin Agada and other elected executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Benue Chapter, whose tenures were prematurely terminated by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Delivering the verdict on Thursday, Justice Tertsegha Kume ruled in favor of Agada and eight other plaintiffs who had challenged the legality of their removal.
Agada and the others argued that the abrupt termination of their tenures violated their rights to fair hearing. Represented by their counsel, M.T. Alyebo, they contended that the NWC’s action disregarded the provisions of Articles 12(11), 17(i), and 21.1 of the APC Constitution (2022, as amended), as well as Section 223(2) of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended).
Alyebo urged the court to reinstate the executives, asserting their terms should continue until February 2, 2026, as initially mandated.
The APC, represented by counsel Matthew Burkaa, argued for the dismissal of the suit, maintaining that the matter was an internal party affair over which the court lacked jurisdiction.
However, Justice Kume dismissed this argument, affirming that the executives’ removal without due process constituted a breach of their constitutional rights.
Justice Kume ruled that the tenures of Agada and the other executives remain valid and subsisting until the completion of their four-year term. The court ordered their immediate reinstatement, thereby nullifying the decision of the NWC to dissolve their leadership.
This ruling marks a significant legal victory for the Benue APC executives and underscores the importance of adhering to due process and constitutional provisions in internal party governance.
