Benue Factional APC Chairman Decries Tribunal’s Sacking of LGA Bosses

George Okoh in Makurdi

Benue factional All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Mr. Benjamin Omale, has described the sack of nine local government chairmen of his faction by the Benue State Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal, as a miscarriage of justice.

Omale was reacting to the judgement handed down by the Tribunal, in which it sacked nine of the local government chairmen and declared candidates that were nominated by the Comrade Austin Agada-led faction of the party, as duly elected.

The council chairmen that were sacked by the Tribunal include those of Vandeikya (the local government  of Governor Hyacinth Alia); Konshisha; Kwande; Ushongo; Otukpo; Agatu; Ado; Apa; and Ohimini.

 “According to him, “We view the judgments against some of our elected council chairmen as a clear miscarriage of justice. Even those who were not cleared by Benue State Independent Electoral Commission(BSIEC)) to participate in the election were given judgement in their favour.

“However, we are confident that the appellwwate process will correct these wrongs. Our legal department has commenced the process of filing appeals, and our team of seasoned legal experts will present compelling arguments before the Benue State Local Government Elections Appeal Panel.” 

“We remain optimistic of victory for all our duly nominated candidates.

“We want to assure you that our letters are filed and the process is on. In the meantime, we urge all our Council Chairmen to remain focused and continue to discharge their responsibilities diligently in their respective local government secretariats.

“As a party, we assure you that we will exhaust every constitutional and legal avenue available to seek redress. The APC, under our current leadership, will strictly adhere to all electoral guidelines as stipulated by BSIEC and fully comply with the Local Government Electoral Law as amended by the Benue State House of Assembly.

“We followed due process in nominating our candidates, which led to the overwhelming victory recorded across the state.”

Furthermore, Omale assured the council chairmen that “We (APC) stand in absolute solidarity with each of you during this challenging period, as the tribunal judgments have, regrettably, gone against some of our lawfully elected local government officials.

“While these rulings may not have aligned with our expectations, they in no way diminish the ideals and values of our great party. Under the Omale-led administration, our commitment remains firm, and our zeal unwavering.

“Continue to prioritise the welfare of our people, ensure the security of lives and property, and align with the developmental strides of our visionary Governor, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth lormem Alia, whose laudable projects are transforming our local government areas.”

“We appreciate the Chairmen of the Local Government Election Tribunal, especially those of Zone A and B for doing a thorough job by their judgements. Even with the threat to their lives, they remained courageous and refused to be compromised.

“To all our party faithful across the state, we urge you to stay calm, united, and resolute. Justice may be delayed, but it will not be denied. The Omale-led administration remains the party of the people, and we are confident that the truth will prevail”, he assured the council chairmen.

In his remarks at the briefing, Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Maurice Orwou, who is also the Chairman, Guma LGA of the state was confident that the sacked chairmen would be reinstated.

He said: “This (judgement) is more than a miscarriage of justice. But we have the belief that the Appeal Panel will give us justice because we know that justice can only be delayed but it will never be denied.”

“I want to assure the local government chairmen who are affected that we are going to reclaim our mandate, and I know that the 23 LGA chairmen are going to win all their cases. We are not going to lose one out of all the cases, and I believe that the Governor will obey the ruling of the Tribunal, and we are going to proceed to the Appeal Panel,” Orwou said.