By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: Leaders of support groups within the All Progressives Congress APC have asked President Bola Tinubu and the party’s national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje to urgently intervene in the political crisis in Benue state, especially with the reported relocation of the State’s Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal from Makurdi to Abuja by the embattled Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.

At a news conference Thursday in Abuja, the Forum of APC Support Groups Leaders also passed a vote of confidence on the Benue State governor, Rev Father Hyacinth Alia.

Director General of the forum, Dr AK Peters who spoke on behalf of other members recalled that the National Working Committee NWC of the party, acting on the powers of National Executive Committee NEC, had dissolved the Benue State Executive and constituted a unity caretaker committee in February 2024.

He said after the Caretaker Committee was inaugurated, the former state chairman, Austin Agada went to court to challenge the powers of President Bola Tinubu who is the chairman of NEC and Dr Ganduje over the dissolution.

According to him, the dissolved executive went ahead and forwarded list of candidates to the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission BSIEC challenging the leadership of the party.

“As the forum of support groups leaders, we are disappointed that the former chairman went to court to challenge the party against the party’s constitution which states that members must exhaust all internal mechanism to resolve an issue before going to the court, yet, the national leadership is just watching.

“We understand that the ongoing crisis in Benue is as a result of the decision of the NWC acting on the powers of NEC which changed the leadership of the party in Benue State and the party must wade in to defend its decision by maintaining party supremacy as enshrined in our constitution.

“Today, the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese has clearly taken sides with the dissolved executive to undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s leadership. To us, it is unacceptable because there is a thick line between justice and injustice. The Chief Justice of Nigeria should call the Benue Chief Judge to order before it is too late.

“We have it on good authority that the Chief Judge of Benue State has relocated the Benue State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal from Makurdi to Abuja after granting a waiver to the petitioners not to pay security deposit as required by law, citing hardship in the land.

“The Chief Judge in his circular cited security reason, meanwhile he has been going to his office amidst his purported removal by the Benue State House of Assembly without any security threat.

“The Benue State government which is the funder of the tribunal also issued statement insisting that the government of the State is not aware of the relocation and assured the public that it could provide adequate security for the tribunal.

“It is now clear that there is an attempt to truly undermine the party’s national leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Benue State Chief Judge who has abandoned justice for trivial sentiments.

“We strongly call on the national leadership of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to immediately wade in to the pending danger and threat to democracy in Benue State.

“Our party leadership and the Presidency must take a stand now before some anti-democratic forces and enemies of our party hijack the ongoing evil plot.

“We insist that Mr President must save democracy as the decision of the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee must be respected by all party faithful”, the forum leaders stated.