The Benue chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has successfully concluded its primaries, electing chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5. This development comes just weeks after the Austin Agada-led executive committee announced candidates for the polls, despite the dissolution of his state working committee by the national leadership under Abdullahi Ganduje.
Caretaker Organising Secretary and spokesman of the APC Caretaker Committee in the state, James Ornguga, disclosed that the primaries were held without any major challenges. A total of 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship candidates were elected across the state’s 23 local government areas for the forthcoming elections.
Ornguga commended the peaceful nature of the process, noting that no incidents of violence were reported during the exercise. “We are pleased to report that all aspirants displayed exemplary conduct during the screening, which was conducted from September 1 to September 2, 2024. Those with grievances over the screening process sought redress from the Barr. Moses Atagher-led Screening Appeal Committee, which swiftly addressed all issues,” Ornguga said.
The successful resolution of the screening complaints paved the way for the primary elections, which were held from September 4 to September 5. Ornguga emphasized the smooth running of the primaries, which concluded at 2 p.m. on September 5. “We are satisfied with the outcome and the decorum exhibited by all participants,” he added.
Despite the internal power tussle following the dissolution of the Agada-led exco by the national body, the Benue APC continues to push forward with preparations for the local government elections. Ornguga reassured party members and supporters that the leadership transition would not affect the party’s performance in the forthcoming polls.
Meanwhile, the Primary Election Appeal Committee has commenced its review of petitions filed by aggrieved aspirants following the primary elections. Ornguga stressed the party’s commitment to ensuring fairness and transparency in resolving all disputes. “We encourage any dissatisfied members to approach the appeal committee, as we are committed to maintaining a united and strong front ahead of the October 5 elections.”
