APC Primary: Benue South Collation Officer Petitions Police Over Disputed Result
- Dr Peter Sani Ochijele, the collation officer for the May 18, 2026 APC Benue South senatorial primary, petitioned the Benue State police over a disputed election result
- An aspirant, Hon. Nelson Godwin Onyilokwu Alapa, reportedly presented a result at the Federal High Court in Abuja showing he won the primary, which Ochijele denied
- The disputed document credited Alapa with 24,788 votes, far above the 4,312 votes Ochijele said were announced at the collation centre in Otukpo
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Benue - The collation officer for the May 18, 2026 All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Benue South, Dr Peter Sani Ochijele, has asked the Benue State police to investigate a result sheet allegedly presented in court by one of the aspirants who lost the election.
The petition, dated September 30, 2026 and addressed to the Commissioner of Police in Makurdi, was filed through Ochijele's solicitors, Paul E. Ikwe and Jeremiah O. Adoga.
How the Primary Was Conducted
Ochijele told the police that six aspirants took part in the primary. Results from the nine local government areas in the senatorial district were brought together at Lux Haven Hotel, Otukpo, where he collated and read out the figures submitted by each LGA collation officer, The Guardian reported.
The National Assembly Primary Election Collation Officer, Alhaji Sabiu Saidu Mahuta, then announced Dr. Francis Ottah Agbo as the winner with 58,760 votes. The remaining aspirants received the following votes: Hon. Joseph Ojobo, 6,782; Hon. Gabriel Oloche Agidani, 5,246; Hon. Dan Onje, 4,570; Hon. Nelson Godwin Onyilokwu Alapa, 4,312; and Hon. Patrick Idoko Ojechema, 2,732.
Ochijele said the announcement was made before party members, security personnel, agents of all aspirants, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who monitored the exercise. The result sheet was signed by him, Mahuta, and Mahuta's secretary, Dr. Bashir Garba, with copies shared with the aspirants' agents, INEC, and other relevant authorities.
What Triggered the Police Petition
The collation officer said he only became aware of a problem when Alapa filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the primary outcome. According to Ochijele, the result attached to the court documents showed a completely different set of figures and claimed that he had declared Alapa the winner.
The document reportedly credited Alapa with 24,788 votes, which Ochijele said bore no relation to the 4,312 votes that were announced at the collation centre. He also disputed that he had the authority to declare a winner, saying that responsibility rested solely with Mahuta and his team, Vanguard also repprted.
His solicitors wrote in the petition:
"Our client wishes to state categorically that the result which Hon. Nelson Godwin Onyilokwu Alapa has paraded in the processes filed in the court purporting himself to be the winner of the Benue South APC Senatorial Primary election did not originate or emanate from the election which our client was the Collation Agent."
Ochijele denied signing the disputed document and asked the police to compare the signature on it against the original result sheet from the collation exercise.
He urged the Commissioner of Police to verify the authenticity of the disputed result, examine both documents side by side, and take appropriate action if any criminal conduct was established.
As of the time this report was filed, the police had not made any public statement on the petition, and Alapa's response to the allegations was awaited.
Source: Legit.ng
