January 27,(THEWILL) – Following the Court of Appeal Judgement that ordered a gubernatorial rerun election in Benue State, the All Progressives Congress is set to obey the court judgement in its entirety.
To this effect, the National Working Committee has scheduled and approved the programme for the conduct of the rerun primary election and has notified the Independent National Electoral Commission of the party’s decision to conduct the exercise in 11 local government areas of Benue State on Wednesday, February 1 and Thursday, February 2, 2023.
“As part of activities for the electoral process, the National Working Committee through the National Organising Secretary, Dr Suleiman Mohammad Argungu, has invited all governorship aspirants who participated in the recent gubernatorial primary election of the APC in Benue State to kindly submit the list of their chosen agents who would monitor the rescheduled Direct Primary election in the affected wards and local governments.”
A statement signed by the State Organising Secretary of the party in Benue, Mr James Ornguga, said the party registers of members have been released to the affected wards for all eligible voters in the process to check and confirm their membership status.
According to the statement, the party urges all aspirants in the race to comply with the programme schedule and follow all processes leading to the election as the National Election Committee in charge of the election would soon arrive Benue State for the exercise.
It will be recalled that three of the APC governorship aspirants, Prof. Terhemba Shija, Engr Barnabas Gemade and Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), had dragged the APC, INEC and Fr Hyacinth Alia to court, challenging the process that returned Alia as the party’s flag bearer in next month’s general election in Benue state.
While the federal High Court had dismissed Gemade’s suit, it upheld results from 12 local government and ordered rerun for 11 others.
The appeal filed by Michael Aondoaka SAN, at federal High Court, Abuja Division, is awaiting ruling as it is not clear whether the litigants including Gemade and Shija, who have proceeded to the Apex Court will participate in the rerun exercise.
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