How Benue APC Chairman lost polling unit, ward; accused of antiparty in own LG

By Abdulateef Bamgbose

Comrade Austin Agada, the Chairman of Benue State All Progressives Congress (APC) had an abysmal outing in the 25th February, 2023, Presidential and National Assembly elections in his locality.

This, according to a source, was largely due to alleged antiparty activities, on the part of the Chairman.

Agada led his party to an embarrassing defeat from top to bottom; he lost his polling unit, ward, and local government to other political parties.

The former student union leader showed no capacity as candidates of his party were defeated at all levels right in his backyard.

Despite hailing from Ogbadibo local government, Agada’s party performed woefully in the council, finishing a distant third behind the Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

It was alleged that, the youthful and vibrant State Chairman entered into an accord with the Labour Party candidate for the Benue South Senate, Hon. Joe Ojobo, who hails from the same locality, Owukpa, Ogbadibo LGA, who emerged winner in all the units and wards of Owukpa and eventually won at Ogbadibo LG collation center.

However, “the move by Agada to covertly work in favour of his mistress, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for House of Representatives, Aida Ogwuche, fell short, as the windfall of the Labour Party senatorial votes overshot votes he was able to secure for PDP”, a source told our Reporter.

“In the presidential election in the council, the Labour Party scooped the highest votes with 10,154 votes, while the PDP came second with 3,460 votes.

“Austin Agada’s APC finished last among the top three with just 3,129 votes.

“For the senatorial election, the LP again won the APC state chairman’s local government with 6,414 votes. Again PDP came second with 5,924 votes while APC scored just 4,698 votes.

“The House of Representatives election in the local government also saw the Labour Party scooping the highest number of votes; 6,080 votes. The PDP got 6,055 votes while APC scored just 4,857”, the source spoke further.

He said, “Although the APC candidate, Chief Philip Agbese emerged winner of the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency elections, and the eventual winner of the presidential election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won Benue State with a slim margin, Agada as a party chairman has zero influence on the outcomes of the elections, having failed to win his polling unit, ward and local governments”.

Already, pundits are expressing worries over his ability to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming governorship and state Assembly elections.

His electoral value is being questioned following his “abysmal” outing in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

Recently, he has also been accused of anti-party, nepotism, mismanagement of office, and gross corruption.

Efforts made by our newspaper to reach the Benue APC Chairman on Thursday proved abortive as his cell phones were switched off.

But in his reaction, Amb. Martinez Ibn Tyotsumeh, Director of Media and Publicity to Agada, urged the public to wade off the report, describing it as the “antics of the 5th columnist”, who have been working round the clock to sabotage the administration of his principal.

He warned those behind the rumour to up their ante and stop reducing Comrade Agada to a Unit or local government Chairman.

“Comrade Austin Agada is a workaholic and result oriented State Chairman of our dear party, he can’t be reduced to a mere unit or local government Chairman. These people want to turn our capacity chairman to a sectional leader or a clan head.

“For a man as Agada, the bigger aim was to deliver Benue State to APC, which he has done gallantly. He couldn’t have voted in his polling unit and still stay back to fight over votes that are not up to 50; whereas, his attention was needed at the state Secretariat.

“Those fanning the ember of hate should at at least acknowledge the fact that, since the history of APC in Benue State, this was the first time that the party would win 10 out of 11 Federal Constituency seats; 2 out of the 3 Senatorial seats and delivered the Presidential candidate of APC”, he added.