Benue State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Samuel Ortom, has said that he was ready and would gladly go for the re-run of the governorship election at any time chosen by INEC.
This is just as he has expressed his gratitude to the Benue people for their support and for coming out to vote the PDP in the March 9 governorship election.
Governor Ortom stated this while reacting to the declaration of the governorship election in the state as inconclusive.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared the governorship election in Benue State in which Mr Ortom polled a total of 410,576 votes to defeat Jime of the APC who got 329,022 votes inconclusive.
State Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Sabastian Maimako said the election was inconclusive because the total number of accredited voters in areas where election was not held, was more than the margin of lead.
He had announced that the commission would reschedule a date to conduct supplementary elections in all the areas election was cancelled.
However, Ortom has urged the people of the State to be calm and law abiding and to come out on the day that will be announced by INEC for the rerun to defend their votes.
The Governor assured Benue people that no federal might would be allowed to short change or suppress their will at the polls.
He said his victory was only being delayed expressing the confidence that he would win the elections whenever it was conducted explaining that all the places where the exercise could not hold or results were cancelled are the PDP’s stronghold.
READ ALSO: Benue Guber: INEC Declares Election Inconclusive
The governor however called for adequate security during the supplementary polls, stressing that elections were not earlier conducted in those areas due to violence allegedly unleashed in the places by the opposition party.
Ortom added that it was glaring that his winning margin cannot be taken away except those who perpetuated the violence in the first place were ready to kill all his supporters in order to have their way.
Earlier the former Governor of Benue State and the Senator elect for Benue North East, Dr Gabriel Suswam, said that PDP is a law abiding Party and would not want to do anything outside the purview of the law to delay the electoral process.
He further stated that their party PDP was already winning with over 81,000 margin and would work seriously and assiduously to emerge victorious at the re-run polls.
Suswam described the declaration as unfortunate saying this was the first time a guber election is being declared inconclusive in Benue but said the PDP will accept it in good faith and go back and do the needful.
He called of the party supporters to be law abiding, shunning all acts of violence but keep faith and support the path during and after the re-run.
