The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue State has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to resist attempts by Senator George Akume to subvert the will of the people all across the state.
State Publicity Secretary & Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee, Benue PDP State Campaign Organisation-2019, Bemgba Iortyom, stated this on Monday, while briefing newsmen at the party secretariat in Makurdi.
He noted that in the Benue North-West Senatorial District, the leader of the APC in the state and the party’s Senatorial candidate, George Akume, suffered a humiliating defeat.
According to him, records from the various polling units, ward and local government area collation centres across the Senatorial District indicated that he lost in 6 out of the 7 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, include piling pressure on INEC officials at the Senatorial Collation Centre to cancel genuine results scored by the candidate of our great party.
“We call on INEC to respect the will, voice and votes of the people and uphold the popular verdict by quickly and courageously declaring the winner, PDP’s Hon. Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev.”
The state PDP publicity secretary 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 across the state.
Bemgba noted that although official results were yet to be announced by INEC, evidence from party agents in the field show that the PDP is clearly the preferred choice of Benue people.
He recalled that the APC exhibited glaring desperation in the build up to last Saturday’s polls, following which their members were arrested with large numbers of PVCs in Konshisha and Guma local government areas of the state, an indication that they intended to rig the elections.
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Bemgba also recalled that 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, pointing out that he was 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”.
He said 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 yesterday’s election for the same seat, John Dyegh, was arrested in Mbatiav while snatching ballot boxes.
“Inspite of this, the PDP has recorded monumental electoral victories across the state,” he added.
