By Emmanuel Antswen
No fewer than 81 aspirants are battling for the 11 All Progressives Congress (APC) tickets for House of Representatives seats in Benue State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A list of cleared aspirants obtained on Saturday in Makurdi showed that the Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency recorded the highest number of contestants, with 14 aspirants vying for the party’s sole ticket, while Makurdi/Guma followed closely with 12 contenders.
In contrast, Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency had the least number of aspirants, with only three contestants in the race for the APC ticket.
Meanwhile, the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee in the state said it had successfully distributed election materials to all the 23 local government areas ahead of the primaries.
Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Sabiu Mahuta, assured party members and aspirants of the committee’s commitment to conducting free, fair and credible primaries across the state.
Mahuta apologised for the delay in the commencement of the exercise, attributing it to logistical and security arrangements.
“We promised to be here as early as 6:30 a.m., but due to logistics and security arrangements, we could not arrive as scheduled.
“However, we are now more prepared, organised and fully committed to ensuring a successful exercise,” he said.
He reiterated that the committee would ensure peaceful, transparent and acceptable primaries in all the local government areas.
According to him, election materials, including certified party membership registers and result sheets for wards and local governments, would be distributed to returning officers for the conduct of the exercise.
Mahuta stated that only duly registered APC members whose names appeared in the certified party register would be accredited to vote during the primaries.
“The election is strictly for registered APC members, and accreditation will be based on the certified membership register for each ward,” he explained.
He also directed that agents of all contestants must endorse result sheets before submission and collation to enhance transparency and credibility in the process.
The committee chairman further disclosed that aspirants involved in consensus arrangements must formally submit written letters indicating their withdrawal before affirmation of any consensus candidate.
“Before affirmations can be conducted for any seat, all contestants involved must sign and submit a written consensus agreement. That remains one of the conditions,” he stated.
Mahuta warned returning officers against acts capable of undermining the credibility of the exercise, stressing that all aspirants deserved equal treatment as members of the APC.
“We will not tolerate anything capable of compromising the integrity of this election. Every contestant must be treated fairly,” he added.
He explained that mechanisms had also been put in place to address disputes or challenges that might arise in areas where elections could not hold successfully.
Mahuta said returning officers would return to the designated collation centre after the exercise for the submission and official announcement of results.
Earlier, the APC Chairman in Benue State, Mr Benjamin Omale, expressed confidence in the party’s preparedness for the primaries.
Omale said adequate arrangements had been made to ensure smooth logistics and security for a free, credible and widely accepted exercise across the state.
