Aper Aku Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Construction of the stadium was initiated by the Second Republic governor Aper Aku. [1] The 100% Natural Geo Technology Pitch was constructed by Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Ltd. [2]
It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of the Lobi Stars. Aper Aku Stadium has a capacity of 8,000 people. It was renovated to host the 2007 Nigerian FA Cup final .
Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in the 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 and was among the seven states created at that time. The state derives its name from the Benue River initially called Ber-nor, a compound word in Tiv language which means river or lake of hippopotamus the name Ber-nor was corrupted to BENUE by colonial masters, the river is the second largest river in Nigeria after the River Niger. The state borders Nasarawa State to the North; Taraba State to the East; Kogi State to the West; Enugu State to the South-West; Ebonyi and Cross-Rivers State to the South; and has an international border with Cameroon to the South-East. It is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma and Igede people. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo and Jukun people etc. Its capital is Makurdi. Benue is a rich agricultural region; common crops cultivated in the state include oranges, yams, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, sesame, rice, groundnuts and palm trees.
Tiv are a Tivoid ethnic group. They constitute approximately 2.4% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv language is spoken by over 4 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Cross rivers, Adamawa, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The language is a branch of Benue–Congo and ultimately of the Niger–Congo phylum. In pre-colonial times, the Fulani ethnic group referred to the Tiv as "Munchi", a term not accepted by Tiv people.
Ebonyi State is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by Benue State, Enugu State to the west, Cross River State to the east and southeast, and Abia State to the southwest. Named for the Abonyi (Aboine) River—a large part of which is in the state's south—Ebonyi State was formed from parts of Abia and Enugu state in 1996 and has its capital in Abakaliki.
Lafia is a city in Nigeria's North Central region. It is the capital and largest city of Nasarawa State, with a population of 509,300 inhabitants as of the 2021 census. And it's the Headquarter of Lafia Emirate Council.
Lobi Stars Football Club is a Nigerian professional soccer club based in Makurdi, Benue. The club competes in the Nigerian Professional Football League. The Stars' home is the 8,000-seater Aper Aku Stadium.
Jukun are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. The Jukun are traditionally located in Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe States in Nigeria and parts of northwestern Cameroon. They are descendants of the people of Kwararafa. Most of the tribes in the north central of Nigeria trace their origin to the Jukun people and are related in one way or the other to the Jukuns. Until the coming of both Christianity and Islam, the Jukun people were followers of their own traditional religions. Most of the tribes, Alago, Agatu, Rendere, Goemai in Shendam, and others left Kwararafa when it disintegrated as a result of a power tussle. The Jukuns are divided into two major groups; the Jukun Wanu and Jukun Wapa. The Jukun Wanu are fishermen residing along the banks of the river Benue and Niger where they run through Taraba State, Benue State and Nasarawa State. The Wukari Federation, headed by the Aku Uka of Wukari, is now the main centre of the Jukun people.
Ranchers Bees Stadium is a multi-purpose arena in Kaduna, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Ranchers Bees Football Club and Kaduna United Football Club. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 people. Kada City FC use the Ranchers Bees Stadium for home games in the NPFL.
BCC Lions Football Club is a Nigerian football team based in Gboko, Benue State, that competes in the Nigeria Amateur League, and plays its home games at the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka Stadium.
David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark ; born 8 April 1948) is a retired Nigerian Army brigadier general and politician. He served as the 12th president of the Nigerian Senate from 2007 to 2015 and was the Senator for Benue South senatorial district from 1999 to 2019. He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Prior to his senatorial career, Mark was the military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986, and is a one-time minister of communication. He is the longest serving president of the Nigerian Senate.
Otukpo is a town in Benue State, Nigeria located in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria. It is also the eponymous name of a subgroup of the Idoma people. Otukpo is the headquarters of the Otukpo Local Government Area. It is the headquarters of the Idoma Nation, and remains an important town in Idomaland, an area mainly populated by the Idoma speaking people, though with numerous local dialects spoken in the diverse reaches of Idoma land. Otukpo Idoma language is the umbrella lingua.
Uyo Township Stadium is a multi-use stadium located in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Akwa United F.C. of the Nigerian Premier League. It is also a center for social, cultural, political, and religious events. The popular annual Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol, organized by the Akwa Ibom State Government, always holds at the stadium. The stadium is located close to a major market in Uyo City, called Akpan Andem Market. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 people.
Lt. Colonel Fidelis Makka was Military Governor of Benue State, Nigeria from 21 July 1988 to 2 January 1992 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Group Captain Adebayo Hamed Lawal was Governor of Benue State, Nigeria from July 1978 to October 1979 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo.
Aper Aku (1938–1988) was elected governor of Benue State, Nigeria in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, he left office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.
The Wukari Federation is a traditional state in Nigeria, a successor to the Kwararafa state of the Jukun people. The state is based in the town of Wukari in Taraba State, in the south of the Benue River basin. The ruler takes the title "Aku Uka".
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club, or simply MFM FC, is a Lagos-based Nigerian professional football club that competes in the Nigeria Nationwide League, the third level of the Nigerian football league system. The club is wholly owned by the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, a Pentecostal Christian Organization.
The 1979 Benue State gubernatorial election occurred on July 28, 1979. NPN's Aper Aku won election for a first term to become Benue State's first executive governor leading and, defeating main opposition in the contest.
The 1983 Benue State gubernatorial election occurred in Nigeria on August 13, 1983. The NPN nominee Aper Aku won the election, defeating other candidates.
7°43′53″N8°31′14″E / 7.73139°N 8.52056°E