The Local Government Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Saturday, 2025, upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
The panel, chaired by Justice Ityonyiman, dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party’s candidate challenging the declaration of Vitalis Neji of the APC as the duly elected chairman in the September 2024 polls.
Delivering what was described as a “sound judgment,” Justice Ityonyiman ruled that the petition lacked merit and failed to establish any credible ground upon which the results declared by the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) could be overturned.
The tribunal affirmed that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the law, and upheld Neji’s victory as valid and lawful.
This judgment comes amid a wave of controversies and heightened public scrutiny surrounding the handling of local election disputes by the Benue State Election Petition Tribunal.
The Benue State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal has been embroiled in a series of controversies and legal challenges following the October 5, 2024, local government elections.
