A new legal conflict has emerged concerning the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship primary in Benue State. One of the contenders, Chief Joseph Waya, has initiated a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, questioning the legitimacy of the party’s selected candidate, Herman Hembe.
In his submission, Waya requests the court to nullify the governorship primary that was allegedly conducted from May 22 to May 24, 2026, and whose outcome was announced on May 25, 2026. The plaintiff argues that the election was not carried out by the proper party organ as mandated by the ADC constitution.
According to filed documents, the primary was organized by a structure whose congresses had been invalidated earlier by a court ruling on April 29, 2026. Waya also contests Hembe’s eligibility to participate in the primary, noting that the former House of Representatives member was under a three-month suspension imposed by the Benue State Executive Committee of the ADC on March 27, 2026.
The court filing highlights that under Article 9(iii) of the party’s constitution, Hembe was disqualified from being voted for at the time of the primary due to the ongoing suspension. The suit states: “On the date of the said primary, the 2nd Defendant was under a subsisting three-month suspension imposed by the State Executive Committee of the 1st Defendant on 27 March 2026 and was, by Article 9(iii) of the Constitution of the 1st Defendant, not eligible to be voted for.”
Additionally, Waya points out non-compliance with the party’s guidelines and alleges that some parts of the primary occurred outside the approved timeframe. Before resorting to legal action, Waya and another aspirant, Peter Adejoh, had separately written to the ADC national leadership, voicing their concerns about the conduct of the primary and urging a reassessment of the results.
The two aspirants further called for the establishment of a fresh governorship electoral committee, composed of individuals who are neither natives nor residents of Benue State, to ensure impartiality, openness, and credibility in any future primary election.