Aondoakaa Camp Rejects Disqualification Claims, Cites Supreme Court Ruling Ahead of Benue 2027 Election
The media team of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2027 Benue State governorship election, has rejected claims that the former Attorney-General of the Federation is barred from seeking public office, describing the allegation as a misrepresentation of judicial decisions and constitutional provisions.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyvl35z3917o
In a statement issued on Thursday, Terver Akase, PhD, media consultant to Aondoakaa, argued that attempts by political opponents to portray the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) as constitutionally disqualified have no legal foundation.
According to Akase, the Supreme Court addressed the matter in a 2021 judgment delivered by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, which stated that “the issue of qualification for holding the office of the second respondent or any other public office does not arise.”
The statement identified the “second respondent” in the judgment as Aondoakaa, who served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice during the administration of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Akase alleged that critics had continued to rely on an earlier 2010 decision while overlooking what he described as the Supreme Court’s subsequent clarification in 2021.
Constitutional Provisions
The statement also referenced Sections 177 and 182 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), arguing that the Constitution clearly outlines the qualifications and grounds for disqualifying candidates seeking election as governor.
According to the Aondoakaa camp, those constitutional provisions are exhaustive and cannot be expanded through political arguments or interpretations outside the Constitution.
It further maintained that any challenge to the qualification of a governorship candidate constitutes a pre-election matter governed by Section 285(9) of the Constitution, which requires such suits to be filed within 14 days of the event being challenged.
Akase said Aondoakaa emerged as the PDP governorship candidate on May 24, 2026, received his Certificate of Return on June 24, 2026, and was subsequently submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in accordance with the Electoral Act.
https://voxnews.com.ng/benue-anyam-nyor-security-initiative-583-days-later/
The statement argued that the constitutional period for initiating any legal challenge had expired and that courts no longer had jurisdiction to entertain fresh claims on the matter.
Call to Focus on Governance
Beyond the legal arguments, Akase urged political stakeholders to shift attention toward issues affecting Benue State, including security, agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, youth empowerment and economic development.
https://voxnews.com.ng/rham-imo-apc-youth-league-interactive-session-owerri-10-delegates/
He described continued public debate over Aondoakaa’s eligibility as political rather than legal, insisting that there was no pending case capable of preventing the PDP candidate from participating in the governorship election.
“The law has spoken. The Constitution has spoken. The Supreme Court has spoken. The people of Benue will speak next at the ballot box,” the statement concluded.
