Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The governor of Benue state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has called for the immediate resignation of the state chairman of the All Progressive Congress in the state, Comrade Austin Agada over what he termed as an act of insubordination.
Governor Alia spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilization and Empowerment, Mr. Mkeenem Moses during a press conference in Makurdi this afternoon.
According to the governor, Austin Agada has been working against his administration since inception, stressing that he is also behind the internal crisis that greeted the constitution of local government caretaker committees in the state this week.
The governor during the press conference addressed on his behalf by his Aide stated that Agada is angry that his nominees were not considered as members of the Caretaker Committee in Ogbadibo local government.
The governor said that Agada’s nominee for chairmanship was working against his election to be governor of the state. He noted that the nominee isn’t even a member of the All Progressive Congress hence his decision to drop her during the nomination.
But Nigerian Concord Newspaper gathered that calling for Agada’s resignation is not just all about the constitution of caretaker committees but one of the governor’s plans to cut the influence of the SGF, Senator George Akume on Benue state and his administration.
Alia didn’t only drop Agada’s nominees in Ogbadibo. He also dropped all nominees from Akume’s camp across the twenty three local government areas of Benue state.
This newspaper had few days ago reported Akume’s anger to Governor Alia over his refusal to include his nominees in the caretaker committees of Benue state local government administration.
According to the report, excluding Akume’s nominees was a way to weaken the influence of the SGF on Benue state.
During the press conference, Governor Alia through his Aide accused Agada using his office as the state chairman of APC to threaten the peace and security of the state.
Governor Alia alleged that Agada had on November 30, 2023 mobilized the 23 LG chairmen of the party to protest against the appointment of LG Caretaker Committees simply because his preferred candidate in Ogbadibo local government area was not picked. He went further that the nominee from Agada doesn’t even have a membership card of the APC.
Alia pressed further during the press conference that he removed Agada’s nominee because her father, a high chief in Otukpa local government was at the forefront of the campaign against his candidature during the last general elections.
He also accused the chairman of working against the election of people like Philip Agbese and Daniel Onjeh in the last general elections.
According to Alia, instead of Agada to use the appropriate channels to seek redress, he has been using protest that will culminate into violence.
The governor also accused Agada of using his position to instigate crisis to mar the conduct of the Speakership election of the Benue State House of Assembly in June.
Efforts to reach Comrade Austin Agada on his telephone line 08034746096 proved abortive as he didn’t pick our calls. He only sent a text that he would call back.