The APC Solidarity Group has formally petitioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) to sanction former Benue State Chairman Austin Agada for alleged anti-party conduct ahead of the 2027 general elections. The petition, dated October 2 and sent to Legit.ng on Sunday, October 4, was signed by the group's National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Sa'idu Muhammad, and addressed to the NWC through the office of the National Chairman.
The group is calling on the committee to constitute an investigative panel, invite Agada to appear before it, and, if found guilty, impose disciplinary measures and publicise them as a warning to others. The petition specifically alleges that Agada, a leader of a faction loyal to Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, publicly endorsed PDP Senator Abba Moro for a 2027 senatorial seat, and reportedly printed campaign banners bearing both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's image and that of Moro, a member of a rival party.
What Agada Is Accused Of
The petition also cited an interview Agada granted on TVC's Politics Tonight on September 28, 2026, in which he reportedly said he had no reason to campaign for the APC's governorship candidate in Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, and would not do so. According to the group, this position conflicts with the stance of the Progressives Governors' Forum and resolutions endorsed by all 36 state chapters of the APC plus the FCT.
The group further accused Agada of participating in a group called the Strategic Alliance for Tinubu 2027, also referred to as the Rainbow Coalition in Benue, which it described as operating alongside the PDP, Social Democratic Party, Labour Party and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) in ways that undermine the APC's official candidates and structures in the state.
Call for Immediate Sanctions
The petition urged the NWC to examine Agada's conduct against the provisions of Article 21 of the APC Constitution and determine whether the actions amount to punishable anti-party behaviour.
"We consider this matter particularly serious because Austin Agada is not an ordinary member of the APC without prerequisite knowledge of the party's constitution, structures and obligations," the petition read. "As a former Chairman of the APC in Benue State, he understands the importance of party supremacy, discipline, loyalty and respect for constituted party organs."
The group acknowledged that supporting President Tinubu's re-election bid was consistent with party interests but argued that such support could not justify campaigning against other APC candidates where the party had already nominated and recognised its own contenders. The petitioners described the matter as one driven by loyalty to the party ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that allowing senior figures to openly back rival parties would set a damaging precedent for internal discipline within the APC.
APC Reacts to Amaechi's Outcry on Tinubu
Legit.ng earlier reported that the APC issued a press statement on October 4, 2026, responding to Rotimi Amaechi's recent public claims about financial hardship. Amaechi, who served as governor, transport minister, and is now the ADC's vice-presidential candidate, said he could not afford his late mother's medications. APC's national publicity secretary Felix Morka questioned Amaechi's fitness for the vice presidency based on his own public admissions.
