According to German Reporters, a popular online newspaper, present event in Benue state ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state is a case of history which is about to repeat itself as the embattled Governor of the State, Father Hyacinth Alia is making frantic and desperate move to stop the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN in court through a governorship candidate he has sponsored in the Allied Peoples Movement, Damian Iorhen Adagba.
Recall that in 2022, Governor Alia won his ticket under the All Progressive Congress, APC, and Chief Michael Aondoakaa was one of those that took him to court over the manner which the ticket was won but at last, the governor went ahead and won his election as Governor of Benue State. He also won all the cases in the court.
To observers, Alia had been destined to be governor of Benue State between 2023 and 2027, and that was why he won the election despite the huge legal battles on his head.
However, the same incident is about to be repeated as Chief Aondoakaa legitimately won his ticket under the People’s Democratic Party, and Governor Hyacinth Alia is now sponsoring series of propaganda including desperate move in court.
Feelers have it that the Governor has already conceded defeat as he is aware that he cannot match Aondoakaa at the poll as a result of his rising popularity and acceptance by the Benue electorates who are already determined to vote out his bad administration.
Just yesterday, the Alliance for Truth and Democracy (ATD), Benue State chapter, alleged that Governor Hyacinth Alia and members of his political circle are plotting to prevent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, from contesting the 2027 governorship election.
The group, in a statement signed by its President, Jerome Zoho, alleged that the purported strategy involved the use of a candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Damian Iorhen Adagba, as a proxy to institute legal action against Aondoakaa’s candidacy.
Zoho claimed that Adagba, whom he described as a member of Governor Alia’s social media team from Vandeikya Local Government Area, recently emerged as the APM governorship candidate.
According to him, the development had raised questions within political circles, particularly over the alleged sudden availability of vehicles, security personnel and logistical support for Adagba following his emergence as the APM candidate.
The ATD president further alleged that discussions had taken place within Governor Alia’s camp on how to contain what he described as the growing popularity and acceptance of Aondoakaa across the state.
Zoho claimed that, having allegedly concluded that defeating Aondoakaa politically could prove difficult, those behind the purported strategy were considering litigation as an alternative means of preventing the PDP candidate from appearing on the ballot.
He described the alleged move as an abuse of the judicial process, arguing that political opponents should seek to defeat candidates through legitimate electoral competition rather than litigation allegedly designed to deny voters the opportunity to choose.
The group, however, contended that the proposed legal challenge would face significant constitutional and electoral hurdles, particularly regarding the legal standing of an individual who did not participate in the PDP governorship primary that produced Aondoakaa.
Zoho argued that Aondoakaa emerged from the PDP governorship primary conducted on May 24, 2026, and therefore questioned the locus standi of an aspirant from another political party to challenge the outcome of the primary.
He also urged political actors to pay attention to the latest pronouncements of the Supreme Court on pre-election matters, stressing that legal arguments must be based on current judicial authorities rather than superseded decisions.
The ATD further maintained that the Constitution had expressly provided the requirements for qualification and disqualification from the office of governor, particularly under Sections 177 and 182.
Zoho argued that political opponents could not introduce additional grounds for disqualification outside those provided by the Constitution and other applicable laws.
He also raised the issue of the constitutional time limit for instituting pre-election matters, citing Section 285(9) of the Constitution and insisting that the prescribed period for challenging the relevant nomination processes had elapsed.
According to him, Aondoakaa received his Certificate of Return on June 24, 2026, after emerging as the PDP candidate, while his nomination was subsequently communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Zoho further claimed that Aondoakaa’s name had been uploaded to the INEC portal, arguing that the relevant constitutional timeframe for challenging the processes had already expired.
He therefore described the alleged move against the PDP candidate as more political than legal, insisting that the development, if true, would amount to an attempt to achieve through the courts what could not be achieved through the ballot box.
The ATD president challenged Governor Alia and his political associates to focus on their record in office, policies and programmes rather than allegedly seeking ways to exclude political opponents from the 2027 contest.
“Elections are won through performance, ideas, credibility and the confidence of the people,” Zoho said, urging political actors to allow the electorate to determine who would govern the state.
He maintained that if there were genuine questions over Aondoakaa’s eligibility to contest the election, such issues should be subjected to lawful determination, while stressing that no political strategy should be allowed to undermine the democratic rights of Benue voters.
Zoho consequently called on political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to remain vigilant and resist any attempt to manipulate the electoral or judicial process ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He said the people of Benue deserved an election in which all duly qualified candidates would be allowed to participate and voters would be free to make their choice at the polls
Credit: German Reporters