The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has ordered re-run for the governorship primaries in 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Benue.
The Chairman, Benue Governorship Re-run Committee, Mr Joel Omajali, disclosed this when he addressed APC members on Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Makurdi.
Omajali listed the affected LGAs as Kwande, Ushongo, Buruku, Konshisha, Ogbadibo, Agatu, Ohimini, Ado, Oju, Okpokwu, Obi and Apa.
He, however, stated that in Buruku LGA, the re-run would take place in only three council wards namely: Mbaya, Mbaapen and Binev, respectively.
The Committee chairman said that the party in the state was in a race against time, as it was the last day for the submission of candidates by parties to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We have a timeline for this exercise. We are supposed to turn in our results latest by 5pm today, since it is the last day for all primaries.
“If we do not do it now, then Benue will risk not having a candidate. So, the Returning Officers will be dispatched on time,” Omajali said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on June 4, the Appeal Committee of the APC recommended the nullification of the governorship primaries.
The Benue APC had adopted direct primaries which the governorship congress held on May 27, produced a suspended Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia as winner.
The appeal committee, in a report submitted to the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, on Saturday in Abuja, said the exercise should be nullified, to avoid the agony of not fielding a candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Benue State.
The report was signed by the Benue APC Primary Election Appeal Committee Chairman, Mr Uzoamaka Onyeama, and the Secretary, Gyang Dung Gyang.
The committee said it received petitions and reports from party faithful and citizens of the state, including governorship aspirants, Sen. Barnabas Gemade, Prof. Terhemba Shija, Mr. Michael Aondoaka (SAN), that the said governorship primaries never held.
The report in part reads: “the few result sheets the aspirants presented to us had more curiously no agent of the governorship aspirants or agent of the declared candidate to prove the results sheets produced and declared genuine.
“It is the submission of the Appeal committee members that form the foregoing, the past event of Zamfara State and the most latest and potent danger of Anambra State; that no governorship primary held in Benue State and we recommend as follows; that the NWC cancel in its entirety the gubernatorial primary election in Benue State and conduct a fresh election.”
(NAN)