Benue APC Accuses PDP of Plot to Manipulate LG Elections ...Gunmen demand N50m ransom for kidnapped PDP chieftain

Arising from the stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state on Monday alleged that the People Democratic Party (PDP) has the foreknowledge and possible outcome of the 2019 local government elections in the state.

The APC has, however, informed its supporters that the party shall not bar potential aspirants from vying for any position(s) in the proposed local government election in the state.

This is coming as unknown gunmen who abducted a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Ben Akile, have demanded a ransom of N50 million.

The APC, through its spokesman in the state, James Ornguga, alleged that the dominant tone at the stakeholders’ meeting called by BESIEC suggested that the PDP has the foreknowledge of the election and its possible outcomes.

He said members of the APC have gone far in their consultations, and that it would be unfair to stop them from pursuing their ambitions on it platform at this moment.

According to him, "The party is however suspiciously perturbed with the hasty nature of the electoral guidelines which seem to have been projected for less than three months and preconditioned to favour a certain group.

“For instance, while the aspirants are just accessing  copies of the electoral guidelines and timetable, campaigns are to begin immediately tomorrow, with primaries expected to hold within a very short time frame, just like students’ union elections.

“Besides, there is indiscriminate use of both ‘aspirants and candidates’ on the activity log contained in the issued guidelines, making it difficult for parties to differentiate the two, except returning to the Commission to seek clarifications.”

The APC spokesman further said in the past political dispensation when Senator George Akume was the governor of the state, even candidates  in the opposition All Peoples Party (APP) won chairmanship seats and in most cases, performed better than their counterparts in the ruling PDP.

Therefore, Ornguga told party members that the party has no confidence in the process.

Meanwhile, unknown gunmen last weekend abducted a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Ben Akile.

The abductors, who have opened contact with the wife of the chieftain, were said to have demanded N50 million ransoms.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Bemgba Ioryyom, who confirmed the abduction of Akile, said the kidnappers were demanding N50million ransom from his family.

According to Ioryyom, the gunmen had opened contact with the victim's wife to demand the ransoms.

Akile with the legal adviser of the party, Clement Mue, was travelling from Zaki Biam to Katsina Alla for a meeting when they ran into the bandits at Mbatom village in Katsina Alla local government area of the state.

According to Ioryyom, the party men were waylaid by three gunmen, and ordered the legal adviser, who was behind the wheel to run, and thereafter kidnapped Akile.

"The legal adviser was the one driving the vehicle while Akile was also in the vehicle when they ran into the bandits-the three gunmen who were on motorcycle-stopped them and went away with Akile.

"Now they have opened contact with the wife, demanding N50million ransom," Ioryyom said.

Earlier, a source who did not want to be mentioned, informed journalists that the PDP men were on their way to Katsina Alla for a meeting convened by Senator Gabriel Suswan when they were attacked.

The meeting, according to him, was to discuss a way out of the present security situation in the zone.