The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday, recorded a landslide legal victory as the Appeal Panel on Local Government Election Petitions sitting at the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, House in Abuja, upheld its wins in all 23 local government areas of Benue State.
The panel’s verdict came as a major boost to Governor Hyacinth Alia and the ruling party, reversing earlier decisions of the Local Government Election Petition Tribunals which had nullified APC victories in nine councils following the controversial October 2024 elections conducted by the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, BSIEC.
The affected local government areas in the earlier tribunal rulings included Vandeikya, Konshisha, Kwande, Ushongo, Otukpo, Agatu, Ado, Apa, and Ohimini.
In its judgment, the appellate panel dismissed all the petitions—primarily instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and other opposition parties—on the grounds of lacking merit and failing to prove substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws.
Chairman of Agatu Local Government, Melvin Ejeh, while reacting to the verdict, described the ruling as a “victory for justice and democracy.” He called on the opposition to bury the hatchet and collaborate with elected officials to deepen grassroots development and entrench good governance across the state.
With this development, the APC has firmly cemented its control of all 23 local government councils in Benue State.
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