The Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi, on Thursday, nullified the seven-man caretaker committee constituted by the National Working Committee (NWC) to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.
Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice T A Kume, declared that the decision of the National Working Committee to dissolve the Agada-led exco was not in accordance to the party constitution.
The judge averred that the action of the National Working Committee of the party amounted to gross violation of the rights of fair hearing of the applicants.
He said, “A consequential order is hereby made declaring as null and void the constitution of a caretaker committee of the 1st respondent in place of the applicants in Benue State.
“As such, any action taken by the said caretaker committee including the 2nd respondent is hereby set aside.
The applicants in the suit are, Austin Agada and eight others while the All Progressive Congress and Benjamin Omale were first and second respondents in the suit.
The state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, had inaugurated Benjamin Omale to oversee the affairs of the party at the time the party chairman, Austin Agada, was purportedly removed by his ward exco and subsequent court order restraining him from parading himself as party chairman.
The National Working Committee of the party later in August constituted seven-man caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.
In response to this, Austine Agada initiated a suit in the state high court to challenge the dissolution of the state working committee of the party by the NWC.
