ADC Benue Primary Thrown Into Crisis as Waya Camp Rejects Result

MAKURDI — The ADC governorship primary in Benue State has been thrown into controversy. Vanguard confirmed on Sunday that the Joseph Waya Campaign Organisation has rejected the outcome of the primary, alleging widespread irregularities and calling for its outright cancellation.

The campaign organisation said the exercise was manipulated from the beginning. It alleged that delegate lists were falsified, voter intimidation occurred at multiple venues, and results from several local government areas were doctored before collation. It said the declared winner cannot claim a legitimate mandate from such a process.

ADC officials in Benue said the primary followed all required party procedures and that the result is valid. They said the Waya organisation is reacting to a loss and dressing up political disappointment as procedural objections. They said the party’s appeal committee will handle any legitimate complaints.

Benue’s Political Importance

Benue State is one of the most politically contested states in Nigeria’s north-central zone. Governor Hyacinth Alia of the APC is the incumbent. The PDP, ADC, and other parties all see 2027 as an opportunity to challenge APC dominance in a state where farmer-herder conflict and economic hardship have generated significant political discontent.

The ADC primary crisis in Benue mirrors similar controversies in other states. The pattern of rejected primaries, parallel results, and official denials has been one of the defining features of the 2026 election season. Each disputed primary creates a potential legal landmine that could affect candidate eligibility before 2027.

INEC said it will review primary documentation submitted by all parties before confirming candidacies. The commission has the authority to reject candidates from primaries found to be non-compliant with party rules and the Electoral Act. The Benue ADC dispute is among the cases it will scrutinise before clearing any candidacy from that exercise.