The Benue State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) has dismissed claims that he is barred from contesting the 2027 governorship election.
Mr Terver Akase, his media consultant, stated this in a statement on Thursday in Makurdi.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), there have been reports that Aondoakaa was disqualified by the court from holding any public position for life.
Akase described the allegations as false and a deliberate misrepresentation of the law, insisting that the Supreme Court had already settled the matter.
He quoted a portion of a 2021 Supreme Court judgement, which he said stated that “the issue of qualification for holding the office of the second respondent or any other public office does not arise”.
According to him, the “second respondent” in the judgement was Aondoakaa, adding that those relying on an earlier 2010 decision while ignoring the 2021 clarification were misleading the public.
Akase also argued that Sections 177 and 182 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly spell out the qualifications and disqualifications for the office of governor, maintaining that no additional grounds could be created outside the constitutional provisions.
He further said that any challenge to Aondoakaa’s qualification ought to have been pursued as a pre-election matter within the constitutional timeline prescribed under Section 285(9) of the Constitution.
Akase explained that Aondoakaa emerged as the PDP governorship candidate on May 24, 2026, and received his certificate of return on June 24, and his name had been submitted to the INEC in line with the Electoral Act.
Akase maintained that the constitutional period for instituting any pre-election suit had elapsed, leaving no subsisting legal basis for fresh challenges to the PDP candidate’s qualification.
He urged political opponents to focus on issues affecting the people of Benue, including security, agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic development, rather than what he described as “political propaganda”.
Akase reaffirmed that Aondoakaa remained the PDP’s duly nominated governorship candidate for the 2027 Benue election and expressed confidence that the contest would ultimately be decided by voters at the ballot box.
(NAN)
