Former Chairman of the Governing Board of PRODA, Enugu, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has unequivocally distanced himself from what he phrases an “unlawful assembly” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) state executives, senior stakeholders, and members in Benue State.
This assembly is purportedly being convened by Mr. Austin Agada, the embattled Chairman of the APC in Benue State, scheduled to be held on March 1, 2024, on the Benue State APC Secretariat, Makurdi.
In an announcement issued right this moment, Comrade Onjeh expressed that the suspended former Chairman of the APC in Benue State, Mr. Agada, allegedly printed his identify with out consent as one of many invitees to the scheduled post-inaugural assembly with the Govt Director of Housing, Finance, and Accounts of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Dr. Mathias Terwase Byuan.
Whereas extending congratulations to Dr. Byuan on his appointment and wishing him success in his new function, Onjeh, a chieftain of the APC and the social gathering’s senatorial candidate for Benue South within the 2023 Normal Elections, emphasised his non-participation in unlawful gatherings convened by Mr. Agada. He strongly condemned the inclusion of his identify as an invited visitor to such an unlawful occasion, stating, “I’m not a part of it, and I’m definitely not taking part in it.”
Comrade Onjeh additional identified that had Dr. Byuan, as a celebration stakeholder, referred to as for the assembly himself, the APC members in Benue State and past would have gladly honored the invitation.
Nevertheless, because it stands, the assembly purportedly convened by Mr. Agada lacks a clear-cut agenda, elevating issues of its intentions.
“A gathering with out an agenda is designed to serve a skewed curiosity and will definitely not be in one of the best curiosity of the social gathering,” Onjeh claimed.
Onjeh equally denounced any future unlawful occasions organized by Mr. Agada, citing Agada’s suspension from the APC. “Henceforth, my identify ought to by no means be related to something associated to illegal occasions organized by Mr. Agada, as he stands suspended from the social gathering,” said Onjeh.
Elaborating on the authorized foundation for Agada’s suspension, Onjeh clarified, “The choice of the Benue State Excessive Court docket, which Agada approached the upper court docket to put aside, ordered him to cease parading himself because the social gathering chairman in Benue State. It didn’t vacate his suspension from the social gathering.”
Onjeh emphasised that Agada’s suspension from the APC was issued by a official adjudicatory organ of the social gathering on the ward degree and stays in impact.
Addressing Agada’s argument relating to the legitimacy of his ward chairman to preside over his suspension, given his present caretaker supervisory council appointment at his native authorities, Onjeh reiterated that the APC structure supplies readability on the matter. An govt committee member of the social gathering might maintain a caretaker place, however solely in a short lived capability.
Onjeh maintained that Agada’s appointment to the Ogbadibo Native Authorities Council was solely on a caretaker foundation.
Onjeh additionally pressured the significance of adhering to established procedures for addressing grievances throughout the social gathering construction.
“Insisting on imposing our place on an election end result we imagine was rigged out will solely result in anarchy within the nation. Because of this we have now election tribunals and appellate courts,” Onjeh stated.
He additional highlighted the accessible parallel processes throughout the APC, offering avenues for aggrieved members to enchantment perceived injustices at numerous ranges.
“Within the APC, if a call is made on the ward degree and one is dissatisfied, there are seven days to enchantment to the following appellate organ of the social gathering, which on this occasion, is the native authorities govt committee,” Onjeh defined.
Expressing disappointment over Agada’s failure to comply with the correct channels for difficult his suspension, Onjeh said, “He didn’t enchantment to his native authorities executives inside seven days of his suspension, and it has now been almost 5 weeks since his ward executives suspended him.”
The previous President of Nigeria’s apex scholar physique, NANS, outlined the sequential steps stipulated within the social gathering’s structure for interesting such selections: “If Mr. Agada had appealed his suspension on the native authorities govt committee degree, any social gathering nonetheless dissatisfied with the choice might enchantment to the state govt committee. Nevertheless, in line with the APC Structure, Agada stays suspended till a call is reached on the state govt committee degree.”
Onjeh reiterated that these processes have time constraints, but Mr. Agada didn’t enchantment his suspension following the laid-down process.
He stated, “There isn’t any document that he appealed his suspension to his LGA govt committee. There may be completely no document that the LGA executives revoked his suspension by the ward executives.”
Urging Mr. Agada to respect established processes, Onjeh famous that his petition in opposition to the suspended APC State Chairman, in regards to the latter’s anti-party actions over the last Benue South senatorial election, was nonetheless pending earlier than the APC Nationwide Secretariat.
Onjeh referred to as for Agada’s fast resignation, stating, “The honorable plan of action for Mr. Agada at this stage is to resign as a result of, within the eyes of the legislation, he’s not a member of the APC, and this example is past remediation.”
Onjeh added that the court docket Mr. Agada approached didn’t order Hon. Omakolo Benjamin, the Benue State APC Appearing Chairman, to vacate his seat.
“Due to this fact, because it stands now, there isn’t a emptiness for the seat of the APC Chairman in Benue State,” Onjeh added.
