Edo AFAN Court Battle: State Executive Challenges National Officers’ Authority and Actions. 

Edo AFAN Court Battle: State Executive Challenges National Officers’ Authority and Actions.

The crisis within the Edo State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has escalated as the state’s executive leadership, led by Alhaji Bako Dogwo, has taken the national officers of the organization to court. The dispute centers around the illegal appointment of a caretaker committee and the purported suspension and expulsion of the state chairman.

According to reports, the Dogwo-led executive and the State Working Committee filed a suit at a Benin City High Court against key national officials, including the National President Farouk Rabiu Mudi, Deputy National President II Confidence Mac-Eteli, and the National Secretary General Dr. Yunusa Halidu, among others. They allege that these national officers unlawfully expelled the state chairman and replaced his executive with a caretaker committee without proper adherence to AFAN’s constitutional provisions.

The court papers, filed on October 20, 2025, by legal representatives Steven A. Onokpachere and F.O. Osayande, state that the national leadership’s actions usurped the authority of the duly elected state executive. The Dogwo-led group claims that the appointment of the caretaker committee members—comprising Mr. Godwin Asemota, Mr. Efosa Atoe, Uzama Osaro, and Mrs. Agol Tracy Ebun—was made unilaterally and without following the provisions stipulated in the AFAN constitution, specifically articles 13 and 18.

Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that they were not given fair hearing before their suspension and expulsion, violating both AFAN’s constitution and Nigeria’s constitutional rights to fair treatment. They also contend that the tenure of the current state executive, which is a single five-year term, has not expired, and therefore, the appointment of new officials is unlawful.

The suit seeks a court declaration that the actions of the national officers are illegal, including the appointment of the caretaker committee, and requests a perpetual injunction to prevent further interference in the state’s AFAN affairs. Additionally, the plaintiffs demand N300 million in damages for the wrongful actions that they say have tarnished their reputation and infringed on their rights. The case reflects a deepening leadership crisis within Edo AFAN, with implications for governance and organizational integrity.