Two weeks after the African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship primary election in Benue State, the declared winner, Herman Hembe, is yet to receive his Certificate of Return, amid an ongoing review of the exercise by the party’s national leadership.
The development follows petitions submitted by some aspirants who are demanding a fresh primary, alleging that the process that produced the reported winner was flawed and failed to reflect the wishes of party members.
A party source told our reporter on Saturday that the national body of the ADC is currently reviewing the outcome of the exercise, hence the delay in issuing a certificate of return to Hembe.
The petitioners, Joseph Waya and Peter Adejoh, in separate petitions to the party leadership, raised concerns over the conduct of the exercise and called for a review of the outcome.They also urged the party to constitute a new governorship electoral committee made up of individuals who are neither indigenes nor residents of Benue State to guarantee neutrality and credibility in any subsequent process.
In a statement obtained by DAILY POST on Saturday, Waya faulted a memo reportedly issued by ‘The Herman Hembe Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation Benue 2027’ announcing the constitution of a committee to select a running mate for the Benue ADC governorship ticket.
According to him, the party has yet to conclude its review of the primary election.
However, despite the development, Hembe has set up a nine-man committee to pick his running mate ahead of 2027 polls.
Reacting, Waya said, “We wish to state that ADC Benue has no governorship candidate yet as the primaries are currently under review by the National Secretariat of the African Democratic Congress in line with directives from the National Chairman and resolutions of the just-concluded NEC.”
He argued that constituting a committee for the selection of a running mate before the conclusion of the review process was premature.
“This is therefore a clear case of putting the cart before the horse, to be shopping for a deputy when the party has not yet declared its governorship candidate.
“It is procedurally improper for any campaign organisation to constitute committees on running mate selection when the substantive ticket remains under review and no candidate has emerged,” he stated.
Waya further noted that the memo referenced consultations with the national and state leadership of the party but did not provide evidence of any formal approval or directive from the National Secretariat.
Similarly, Peter Adejoh, the only governorship aspirant from Benue South Senatorial District, commended the party leadership for reviewing the primary election and expressed confidence that the process would strengthen internal democracy within the ADC.
Adejoh urged the national leadership of the party to ensure that all grievances arising from the exercise are thoroughly addressed in the interest of fairness, transparency and party unity.
“I commend the national leadership of our party for reviewing the governorship primary election. This demonstrates the party’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and internal democracy.
“I believe all concerns raised by aspirants should be carefully considered in the interest of justice, party unity, and the overall success of the ADC in Benue State.
“It is surprising that a committee for the selection of a running mate is being constituted when the party has not concluded its review and no Certificate of Return has been issued. Such actions are capable of creating confusion among party members and the public,” Adejoh said.
