The Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, Terver Akase has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has made the Governor a target of attacks.
Akase in a press statement made available to the Next Edition in Makurdi disclosed that the APC with its administration at the centre has made Ortom a target of vilification, victimization and all forms of attacks since he left the party.
Akase was reacting to an outing by a handful of youths who went to the Police Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, calling for the deployment of more security personnel to Benue State for Saturday’s Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
According to him, that outing apparently sponsored by the APC, was another show of desperation by the party to disrupt the coming elections in Benue State and force a shift of the polls to a separate date to suit their rigging agenda.
“The phony outing by the hired youths in Abuja, most of who we noticed are not indigenes of Benue, has confirmed our earlier statement that APC plans to use Federal Government agencies to trigger political crisis in Benue State if their plan to rig the elections fails.
“After losing nearly all the National Assembly positions to PDP in addition to the presidential election in the state on February 23, the bitter reality has hit APC that Benue people have rejected them and are poised to reject them again during the coming polls. They are therefore desperately bent on thwarting the popular will of the people.
“The first phase of their plan was to try to change the narrative that Benue people were the ones killing themselves. With their rejection at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in Benue State, they have employed their plan B which is to invite the military to intimidate Benue voters and pave way for their unholy rigging agenda.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary stated that the lies being peddled by APC against Governor Samuel Ortom describing him as a violent person were only part of the plan to force postponement of the elections in Benue State.
“This is a clear case of blaming the victim. The APC with its administration at the centre has made Governor Ortom a target of vilification, victimization and all forms of attacks since he left the party.
READ ALSO: Guber Race: Senator David Iornem Endorses Ortom’s Re-election
“If any political party is to be accused of violence in Benue State, such a party is APC, which the leader, Senator George Akume led a band of youths round Makurdi after his defeat to destroy campaign materials belonging to the PDP.
“We once again advise the Federal Government to resist the urge to militarize the coming elections in Benue State. The state is not at war. Benue people are peace-loving and are ready to exercise their civic duty of voting leaders of their choice on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
“We equally caution against any plan to intimidate key PDP members and effect the arrest of many before and during the elections while instilling fear among voters of the state. Benue people must be allowed to cast their ballot without harassment from any quarter,” he said.
The state government therefore urged Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to remain neutral and refuse to be pressurized into doing the bidding of one political party, the (APC) at the expense of the rest.
While demanding for a level playing field in the coming elections, “We reiterate our stand that the Nigerian military has no role in casting or counting of votes; therefore any attempt to use them to manipulate the Governorship and State Assembly elections in favour of APC in Benue State will be resisted,” the statement added.
