The All Progressives Congress (APC) Benue State Chapter has disqualified no fewer than 29 aspirants from contesting the party’s primaries ahead of the 2027 Benue State House of Assembly elections.
The decision, which affects constituencies spread across the length and breadth of the state, was contained in the official report of the party’s State Assembly Screening Committee.
The report, jointly signed by the Committee Chairman, Dr. Auwalu Ishiye, and its Secretary, Barr. Tijani Abdullahi cited non-compliance with the party’s guidelines and constitution as the basis for the disqualifications, a development already stirring tension among grassroots party faithful and political watchers across the state.
The scale of the disqualifications is significant, touching nearly every senatorial district in Benue State and raising immediate questions about the depth of internal discipline within the APC structure at the grassroots level.
Makurdi South alone accounts for three disqualified aspirants, while Gboko West, Buruku, Oju II, and Ukum constituencies each recorded three disqualifications, suggesting either an unusually competitive field or widespread administrative lapses across those areas.
Below is the full list of disqualified aspirants as published in the committee’s official report:
- Shio Keghnen Ephraim (Katsina-Ala East)
- Smith Enyi (Oju II)
- Uhimbir T.T. (Makurdi South)
- Isaac Aondohemba Kyan —
- Dugha Mark (Gboko East)
- Adikpe Ojoi ( Oju I)
- Victor Johnson (Okpokwu)
- Iyua Samuel (Makurdi South)
- Varvar Titus (Ukum)
- Ubii Abraham (Gboko West)
- Mannaseh Kwaghlu —
- Elias Odoba (Apa)
- Iorshase Barnabas (Gboko West)
- Nyitse James Ukum (Ukum)
- Willaum Terhide (Buruku)
- Adakole Sale (Agatu)
- Obor Onor (Oju II)
- Odeh Aaron (Oju II)
- Tamenor Emmanuel (Makurdi South)
- Kundan David (Buruku)
- Iko Benjamin (Buruku)
- Anyor Justice (Kwande West)
- Richard Saidu (Ukum)
- Andrew Tyonongo Mbagwa —
- Timothy Cherem Tiev —
- Akumbur Peter (Gboko West)
- Nyiongu Innocent (Makurdi North)
- Terkula David (Katsina-Ala West)
- Sebastin Ugba (Gwer West)
While the committee’s report did not elaborate on the specific infractions committed by individual aspirants, party sources familiar with the screening process indicated that common grounds for disqualification typically include outstanding membership dues, failure to meet residency requirements, submission of incomplete or falsified documentation, and, in some cases, a history of anti-party activities.
Speaking through the committee’s jointly signed report, the APC made clear that its internal processes would not be compromised. “The disqualifications were due to non-compliance with the party’s guidelines and constitution,” the committee stated, in language that brooked no ambiguity.
Perhaps acutely aware of the potential for fallout, the APC Benue State leadership accompanied the screening report with a pointed appeal for restraint and party unity.
The party called on all affected aspirants to respect the outcome of the screening process and urged members at large to remain united as political activities build toward the 2027 general elections.
In Nigerian political history, screening disqualifications have frequently served as the flashpoint for defections, parallel congresses, and court injunctions, all of which can destabilize even the most organized state chapter. With 2027 barely a year away, the Benue APC leadership appears keen to prevent such fractures from taking root.
A source within the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent: “The leadership knows that some of these aspirants have local followings. The key is managing the grievances before they spill into the open. The appeal for unity is as much a warning as it is a request.”
With the primaries drawing closer, attention will now shift to whether any of the disqualified aspirants choose to challenge their exclusion through the party’s internal appeals mechanism or seek redress at the Federal High Court, as has become common practice in Nigerian party politics.
It also remains to be seen how the Benue APC will manage the delicate balancing act of maintaining the integrity of its screening process while retaining the loyalty of aspirants and their supporters, whose votes will be critical come the general election.
As preparations for 2027 intensify, one thing is certain: the race for the Benue State House of Assembly has begun in earnest, and for 29 aspirants, it has already hit a significant and potentially decisive roadblock.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The APC in Benue State has disqualified 29 House of Assembly aspirants from its 2027 primaries for violating party guidelines and constitutional requirements.
The disqualifications span multiple constituencies across the state, signaling that the party is prioritizing internal discipline over political convenience as the 2027 election cycle approaches.
While the party has urged calm and unity, the real test lies ahead in whether aggrieved aspirants accept the outcome peacefully or resort to legal and political challenges that could fracture the party’s structure at a critical time.
