Benue Tribunal rules against petitioners, dismisses all claims

The Benue State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting at the NBA House in Abuja, has delivered its judgements on ten petitions filed against various local government chairmen.

The ruling, issued today, April 12, 2025, marks a decisive moment in the ongoing legal challenges surrounding the 2024 council polls.

In a detailed judgment read by Honourable Justice Ityoynyiman of the Zone A Panel and Honourable Justice Igyoh of the Zone B Panel, the tribunal emphasized that payment of security costs is a mandatory legal requirement that cannot be waived under any circumstance.

The justices advised that any appeal for leniency on this matter should be directed to the Benue State House of Assembly through the Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, as only the legislature has the power to amend the law governing security costs.

The tribunal also ruled that the petitioners failed to include the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a necessary party in the proceedings a procedural omission deemed critical.

It was noted that several petitioners failed to file pre-trial notices within the prescribed timeframe, a lapse the tribunal considered a fundamental breach of electoral procedure.

In addressing the substance of the petitions chiefly claims of unlawful exclusion from the election, the tribunal found that the petitioners had not established valid nominations by their political parties, nor had they proven active participation in the electoral process.

As a result, the tribunal dismissed all ten petitions filed against the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) and the elected chairmen of the affected local government areas: Hon. Maurice Orwough (Guma), Hon. Joseph Keffi (Makurdi), Raymond Zege Aondoakura (Buruku), Ormin Torsar Victor (Gwer West), Timothy Nyiakura Adi (Gwer East), Barr. Elias Torsar Yina (Gboko), Jonathan Modi (Ukum), Yenge Raphael (Tarka), and the chairmen of Logo and Katsina-Ala.

Reacting to the ruling, Maurice Orwough, Chairman of Guma LGA and ALGON Chairman, described the judgment as a victory for democracy.

He urged the petitioners to put their differences aside and work collaboratively with the elected chairmen to deliver good governance and democratic dividends to grassroots communities.