The Court of Appeal Makurdi Division, Benue State, on Tuesday sacked the Chief Benjamin Omale-led caretaker committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and affirmed the Comrade Austin Agada-led State Executive Committee of the party.

In the Appeal No. CA/MKD/119/2024 filed by the APC against the judgment of the Makurdi High Court delivered by Justice T. A. Kume, the lower court had nullified the dissolution of the Austin Agada-led Benue State Executive Committee of the APC by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and set aside the appointment of a Caretaker Committee headed by Benjamin Omale.

Delivering the lead judgment on behalf of the panel, the Presiding Justice held that all five issues formulated by counsel to the appellant, S. D. Swem, Esq., adopted and argued by M. T. Alyebo, Esq., counsel to Hon. Austin Agada and eight others, were resolved against the appellant and in favour of Agada and the other respondents.

The Court of Appeal also upheld the consequential order of the trial court, which declared that “All activities of the Benjamin Omale-led Caretaker Committee are null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.”

Benjamin Omale, a loyalist of Governor Hyacinth Alia, who was the 10th respondent in the appeal, aligned himself with the arguments of the APC but did not file any independent process with the court.

The state publicity scribe of the party, Daniel Ihomun, quoted Hon. Agada, while reacting to the judgment, as expressing confidence in the judiciary’s ability to uphold justice and urged all members of the party to remain calm and united in the interest of the APC.