The race for the APC House of Representatives tickets in Benue State has intensified as 81 aspirants compete for 11 seats ahead of the 2027 general elections, with party officials promising transparent and credible primaries across the state.
No fewer than 81 aspirants are competing for the 11 All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives tickets in Benue ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for intense party primaries across the state.
A list of cleared aspirants obtained by journalists in Makurdi showed that the Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency has the highest number of contestants, with 14 aspirants seeking the party’s sole ticket.
The Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency follows closely with 12 aspirants in the race, while the Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Constituency recorded the fewest contenders, with only three aspirants vying for the APC ticket.
Meanwhile, the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee in Benue confirmed the successful distribution of primary election materials to all 23 local government areas of the state.
Chairman of the committee, Sabiu Mahuta, assured party members and aspirants of the committee’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible primaries.
Mahuta apologised for delays in the commencement of the exercise, attributing the setback to logistics 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 come as promised. But here we are, though a bit late, better prepared, more organised and more committed,” he said.
He reiterated that the committee would ensure peaceful and transparent primaries across all local government areas.
According to Mahuta, election materials, including certified membership registers and result sheets for wards and local governments, would be distributed to returning officers to facilitate a credible process.
He explained that only registered APC members whose names appeared in the certified party register would be accredited to vote during the primaries.
“The election is going to be for all registered members of the APC. We are going to use the register of certified members of APC for each ward for accreditation,” he stated.
The committee chairman also directed that agents representing aspirants must endorse result sheets before submission and collation to strengthen transparency and credibility.
Mahuta disclosed that in constituencies where consensus arrangements had been reached, aspirants would be required to formally submit written withdrawal letters before affirmation processes could take place.
“Before we do affirmations for every seat, we must have a written consensus agreement by all the contestants. That is one of the conditions,” he said.
He warned returning officers against partisanship and stressed that every aspirant deserved equal treatment during the exercise.
“We are not going to tolerate anybody who is coming with anything that would destroy the credibility of this election. We are going to be fair to all contestants,” Mahuta added.
He further explained that mechanisms had been put in place to resolve disputes or challenges that could disrupt voting in any constituency, noting that returning officers would return to the collation centre after the exercise for the submission and announcement of results.
Earlier, Benue APC Chairman, Benjamin Omale, said the party had completed necessary preparations to guarantee smooth, secure, and acceptable primaries.
Omale maintained that adequate logistics and security measures had been deployed to ensure a free and credible electoral process across the state.
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