The Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Ehaje Ward 1, Sunday Innocent, has refuted his involvement in the purported suspension of Augustine Agada, the chairman of the party in Benue State.
Innocent, along with other party members, allegedly announced Agada’s suspension over purported anti-party activities during the 2023 general election in Benue.
The suspension stemmed from a petition against Agada by Comrade Daniel Onjeh, the party’s senatorial candidate in the last election in Benue South.
However, the APC national body has nullified Agada’s alleged suspension, citing procedural irregularities.
In a video broadcast on Wednesday, Innocent claimed he was deceived into visiting the government house in Makurdi under the pretext of collecting palliatives, only to be coerced into signing an attendance register before receiving the items.
To his surprise, party leaders announced the suspension of Agada while he was present.
Innocent claimed Hon Ugwu Odoh, Commissioner for Water Resources, Sanitation, and Climate Change, Linda Agada SSA on Beautification 3, Isaiah Abah, Apochi Edwin, and Sunny Joshua Ocheme were behind the incident.
He revealed they were each offered ₦400,000 and promised motorcycles, without being informed that the document they signed pertained to Agada’s suspension.
“I want to make it clear: I had no hand in suspending Agada. That’s not what I stand for in this party.
“I was deceived into visiting the government house in Makurdi, thinking I was going to collect palliatives for my ward. But once there, I found myself tricked into signing an attendance register before I could even receive the items.
“To my utter surprise, while I was present, party leaders made the shocking announcement of Agada’s suspension. It felt like a betrayal, being caught off guard in such a manner.
“I saw Hon Ugwu Odoh, Commissioner for Water Resources, Sanitation, and Climate Change, Linda Agada SSA on Beautification 3, Isaiah Abah, Apochi Edwin, and Sunny Joshua Ocheme. They were all part of this deceitful scheme.
“We were promised ₦400,000 each and even offered motorcycles, but the true purpose of the document we signed was kept from us – it was about Agada’s suspension.”
Innocent added that he has since submitted ₦400,000 to the Commissioner of Police at the Force Headquarters in Makurdi and filed a petition against Odoh, Linda, Apochi Edwin and those involved.
Reacting to the allegations, Ocheme stated that he only encountered the APC Secretary at the Government House, where he mentioned having been there for several days.
Ocheme stated that he does not know Innocent personally and clarified that he saw him at the government house in Makurdi for the first time.
Ocheme told DAILY POST, “I don’t even know him, I only saw him at the government house in Makurdi where he came to introduce himself to me and said he had been there for days. Am I a member of the APC to lock him and force him to sign a suspension letter? He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”