No council polls held in Benue, says APGA
By Henry Iyorkase, Makurdi
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Benue State has called for the total cancellation of last Saturday’s local government elections in the state.
The State Chairman of the party, Joseph Ogli, speaking with journalists in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, described the local government polls as a charade.
He explained that His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia, as a priest and by extension a clergyman, would exude so much confidence that the council elections under his watch would be fair and credible.
“But to my utmost chagrin, elections didn’t take place as the electorate were stranded, looking helplessly, as there were no materials anywhere, nor were any presiding officers seen at polling units in the state.”
The APGA chieftain further alleged that, prior to the polls, the State Independent Electoral Commission collected between N250,000 and N500,000, and at the end, the exercise was completely futile.
“We’re disappointed in the manner the polls were held. It was a case of daylight robbery; there was nothing to show for it,” he insisted.
“It is irksome that the electoral umpire only succeeded in giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Truly, the Benue State Electoral Commission (BSIEC), which conducted the council polls, did so against the directive of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
“Just imagine, over N6 billion was expended on the conduct of the council polls, yet it was a wasted jamboree as elections were not held anywhere in the state,” the APGA chairman emphasised.