The Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) has conferred its Distinguished Golden Award of Excellence on the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ben Nwoye, in recognition of what it described as his outstanding contributions to peacebuilding, political reconciliation and conflict resolution within the ruling party across Southern Nigeria.
The award was presented on Tuesday during the institute’s 2026 Annual Lectures and Award Ceremony held at the Justice I.A. Umezulike Auditorium, Enugu State High Court Complex, Enugu.
Presenting the award, the institute said Dr. Nwoye’s selection reflected his unwavering commitment to mediation, human development and electoral reconciliation, particularly through his interventions in resolving disputes within the APC.
According to the institute, Nwoye has consistently demonstrated an uncommon ability to bridge political divides and foster unity across the South.
“His nomination by the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) for the Distinguished Golden Award of Excellence is a timely recognition of his undiluted support for peace-building, human development, and the growth of mediation, especially through his numerous electoral reconciliation and mediative roles within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Southern Nigeria,” the institute stated.
ICMC noted that Nwoye’s vast experience in public service and party administration—including serving as APC State Chairman in Enugu, Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in the state, Secretary of the Forum of APC State Chairmen, Chief of Staff to the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Commissioner representing the South-East at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and now APC Deputy National Chairman (South)—has equipped him with the skills needed to resolve political disputes and promote institutional stability.
The institute further said his work at the FCCPC, coupled with his role as a Visiting Lecturer at the Institute for Peace, Conflict and Development Studies, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), exposed him to conflict management, policy reforms and public-interest issues.
It added that throughout his political career, Nwoye had repeatedly used dialogue and mediation to calm tensions, rebuild trust and encourage political actors to prioritise the survival of institutions over personal interests.
ICMC also praised his leadership style within the APC, particularly his efforts at reconciling aggrieved party members after congresses, conventions, primaries and elections.
According to the institute, his philosophy is built on the understanding that political contests should end with reconciliation rather than bitterness.
“His approach to party leadership is anchored on the understanding that elections do not end with the declaration of winners.
“For Dr. Nwoye, the post-election period is often the most delicate stage of political leadership, because it is then that victors must resist triumphalism, aggrieved stakeholders must be reassured, and the larger organisation must be pulled back from bitterness into shared commitment.”
Speaking shortly after receiving the award, Nwoye stressed the need for structured mediation and conflict resolution within Nigeria’s political parties, warning that poor management of internal disputes often escalates into avoidable litigation and wider societal crises.
According to him, many political actors seek leadership positions without understanding the demands of conflict management.
“A lot of the time, people imagine ward chairman, local government chairman, secretary, state chairman, and even in some instances, national chairman. I’m using chairman as a point, but without basic knowledge of what is required.
“When conflict occurs, the handling of those conflicts, the way you handle it, can make or mar the political situation.”
He argued that unresolved political disputes can easily spill over into society and fuel instability.
“And in some instances, can also evolve into a major conflict within the wider society.
“And so, if we train these local actors, start with local actors, those at ward level, local government level, and state level, you will see that incidents of political hostility will reduce. People will know how to engage and deal with political crisis and manage it without resort to violence.”
The APC chieftain also criticised the growing trend of internal party disputes ending up in court, citing the ongoing leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as an example of what mediation could have prevented.
“If you look at it very well, their issue could have been better resolved if they had good political managers.
“These are internal political party issues. If they had the basic training, the basic understanding on the importance of mediation and conciliation within the party system, then this whole notion of go to court will reduce, if not done away with.”
Nwoye urged the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators to partner with political parties across the country to institutionalise alternative dispute resolution mechanisms capable of strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
Reflecting on the honour, the APC Deputy National Chairman described the award as deeply significant, saying politicians are rarely recognised as agents of peace.
“The Award means the world to me, because usually politicians are not seen as peace builders.
“Over the years, people see politicians as troublemakers. The little things we do to stabilise the society, in this case Enugu State, not everyone would see it.”
He attributed the peaceful conduct of APC primaries in Enugu State to deliberate peace-building efforts and extensive consultations before the exercises.
“We didn’t have a lot of discrepancies, a lot of infighting. It is true peace building. Some form of mediation occurred, both with what I call pre-primary mediation occurred.”
According to him, mediation encouraged party members to make sacrifices in the overall interest of the party rather than resort to confrontation.
“In most cases, people will give up some of their rights. If you explain to them why, for the best interest of the overall society, they will agree.”
Nwoye said the strategy significantly reduced post-primary litigation in the state.
“Today we have a very limited number of matters coming from the primary. I think for now we have just one of all the elections that we did in Enugu State.
“The entire local government primary, not one is in court. The entire House of Assembly, not one is in court. Senate, there’s no court case. Governorship, no court case. Only one out of eight for House of Representatives.
“And so I think it’s a huge success when you think about it. When you compare to some other states, many people don’t know who will be the candidate because they are tied in the court.
“Because we applied the peace building process. So recognising me on that, I am grateful, most grateful.”
