PDP Calls on INEC to Announce Benue North Centre Results

The  People Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State on Monday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to respect the will of the people and uphold the popular verdict by quickly and courageously declaring the winner of the Benue North West senatorial district won by PDP candidate, Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev.

The party also enjoined INEC to resist similar attempts which might be made to subvert the will of the people across the state in the best interest of democracy.

The state Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Bemgba Iyortom, who made the call at a press briefing in Makurdi, commended the people of the state for their overwhelming show of support for the party at the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections held in the state.

According to him, the people braved all odds which included late arrival of election materials to the various polling units to exercise their franchise, saying although official results are yet to be announced by INEC, evidence from their agents in the field shown that  PDP is clearly the preferred choice of the Benue people.

He maintained that during  the buildup to last Saturday's polls, the APC exhibited glaring desperation in the state where members were arrested with large numbers of PVCs in Konshisha and Guma Local Government Areas of the state which indicated clearly that they intended to rig the elections.

"On  the day of the election, the state Chief Collation Agent of PDP, Dr. Cletus Tyokyaa, was arrested and detained by security agents on baseless allegations. He is still in detention. His manhandling by the security agents has created health challenges for his wife who is currently on admission in a hospital in Makurdi."

The PDP spokesman added: "The arrest of Dr. Tyokyaa was a deliberate strategy to create room for manipulation of results in favour of the fast sinking APC.

"In Gboko, the member of House of Representatives for Gboko/ Tarka federal constituency and candidate of the APC in the election for the same seat, John Dyegh, was arrested in Mbatiav while snatching ballot boxes."

He disclosed that in the Benue North-West senatorial district, the leader of the APC in the state and the party senatorial candidate, George Akume, suffered a humiliating defeat.

"Records from the various polling units, ward and local government areas collation centres across the senatorial district indicate that he lost in six out of the seven local government areas winning only in his native Tarka.

"Yet, despite this overwhelming electoral verdict, the disgraced Senator has since resorted to all manner of underhand tactics to subvert the will of the people.

"These tactics, it has been reliably gathered, included piling pressure on INEC officials at the senatorial collation centre to cancel genuine results scored by the candidate of our great party,” he alluded.

Meanwhile, an INEC accredited observer group has called for the cancellation of the senatorial election in the Benue North Central.

The group, Grass Root Empowerment Initiative for Positive Change and Development (GREIPCD), spokesman, Mr. Jimmy Fayisola, said wide spread irregularities marred the election in the zone.

He said the election was marred by irregularities which deprived a lot of voters in the affected areas the right to cast their ballots in Guma, Buruku, Feet West and Makurdi.

Fayisola alleged that Senator Akume got the highest votes in the council's but was manipulated.