June 04, (THEWILL) – The Benue State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Barr. Fidelis Mnyim, has congratulated elected Local Government Chairmen and Councillors in the state following their victory at the Benue State Local Government Election Petitions Appeal Tribunal.
Reacting to the judgement, Mnyim commended the tribunal judges for what he described as “sound and erudite rulings” on the various appeals heard by the tribunal sitting in Abuja.
He noted that the decisions affirmed the Benue Judiciary’s commitment to upholding the law, regardless of political affiliations.
Mnyim stated, “These petitions were unique, given that 98% of the petitioners were members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The crux of their petitions was that they were nominated by the Austin Agada-led faction of the APC to contest the local government chairmanship and councillorship elections.”
According to him, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) did not screen the said aspirants because the Benjamin Omale-led APC faction remains the only one recognised by the party’s National Working Committee in the state.
The tribunal held that the petitions filed were based on pre-election matters and issues concerning the internal affairs of the APC in Benue State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi by the Attorney General’s spokesperson, Dr. Iormbagah Aondohemba, Mnyim said the ruling further reinforced his office’s commitment to ensuring legal victories that reflect the rule of law in the state.
In a consolidated judgment delivered by Justices D.M. Igyuse, M. Uga, and I. Mohammed, the tribunal dismissed all petitions filed by the APC members, either as appellants or respondents, who claimed they were duly nominated but unjustly excluded from the elections.
All 23 local government chairmanship seats in the state were won by the APC.
Reacting to the ruling, factional APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Dan Morgan Ihyomun, faulted the decision, saying it did not reflect the true wishes of the party or the people of Benue.
