A Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, has ordered the relocation of the Benue LG Election Petition Tribunal and Appeals to Abuja following a suit by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and others.
Media Talk Africa gathered that Benue State APC Chairman, Augustine Agada, Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, and the party itself had, through their counsel, Anderson Asemota, filed a motion ex parte dated March 11, 2025, before Justice M.M. Adamu for the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja.
The defendants are the Chairmen of the Benue State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal, Zones A, B, and C—Justices Ityouyimen, D.E. Igoh, and M.M. Odinya, respectively—along with 15 others.
The sitting of the tribunal had earlier been relocated to NBA House, Abuja, from Makurdi by the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, over security concerns.
The sitting of the tribunal that was to hold in Makurdi was truncated following a restraining order of the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, stopping the relocation of the tribunal to Makurdi.
However, the APC approached the FCT High Court in Abuja with a prayer that the panel be relocated to Abuja as earlier ordered by the Benue Chief Judge.
Justice Adamu granted the relief sought and ordered the tribunal to continue conducting its sittings at the NBA House in Abuja.
The court also restrained the tribunal from sitting in Benue State.
The case was adjourned to April 29, 2025, for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.
