The Chairman, Benue State Governorship Re-run Committee for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Joel Omajali, on Thursday said, the National Working Committee of the party has ordered a re-run of the governorship primary in 12 Local Governments.
Omajali stated this while addressing party members in Makurdi adding that the affected LGAs are, 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 of Mbaya, Mbaapen and Binev respectively.
According to the chairman, the Benue State Chapter of the party went into the exercise against time, explaining that it was the last day for the submission of candidates by parties to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“We have a timeline for this exercise. We are supposed to turn in our results latest by 5 pm 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.
“On June 4, the Appeal Committee of the APC recommended the nullification of the governorship primaries.
“The appeal committee, in a report submitted to the National Chairman of the party, Senator 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 primary never held.
“The report in part read, “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,” Omojili addressed.
Naija News reports that the Benue State publicity secretary of APC had earlier in a press statement debunked the nullification information published on the social media, and described it as fake news.
This article was originally published on Naija News
