A fresh legal dispute has emerged over the African Democratic Congress (African Democratic Congress) governorship primary in Benue State, as aspirant Chief Joseph Waya has taken the party’s candidate, Herman Hembe, to the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legitimacy of his emergence.
In the suit, Waya is seeking to nullify the governorship primary reportedly held between May 22 and 24, 2026, with results announced on May 25, 2026.
He argued that the exercise was not conducted by the appropriate organ of the party as required by the ADC constitution.
According to him, the primary was organized by a structure whose congresses had earlier been voided by a court judgment delivered on April 29, 2026.
Waya also questioned Hembe’s eligibility to participate in the contest, alleging that the former lawmaker was under a three-month suspension imposed by the Benue State Executive Committee of the party on March 27, 2026.
He maintained that, in line with Article 9(iii) of the party’s constitution, Hembe was not qualified to be voted for at the time of the primary.
Court documents stated in part that “on the date of the said primary, the 2nd defendant was under a subsisting three-month suspension and was therefore not eligible to be voted for.”
The plaintiff further alleged that the primary was conducted in breach of party guidelines and outside the approved schedule.
Prior to filing the suit, Waya and another aspirant, Peter Adejoh, had petitioned the national leadership of the ADC, raising concerns about the conduct of the exercise and calling for a review of the outcome.
They also urged the party to set up a fresh governorship electoral committee comprising individuals who are neither indigenes nor residents of Benue State, in a bid to ensure neutrality, transparency, and credibility in any future primary exercise.
