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Allege materials diversion, vote allocation
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Two governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Mr Terwase Orbunde and Jeffrey Kuranun, have rejected the outcome of Thursday’s governorship primary election in the state, alleging diversion of materials and allocation of votes.
The incumbent governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, was declared the winner of the election after polling 367,786 votes.
Speaking to newsmen in Makurdi on Friday, Orbunde, who came second in the election, described the exercise as a disgrace to democracy and a threat to party unity.
According to him, election materials meant for the exercise were diverted, while results were simply allocated to aspirants without actual voting, adding that the election process failed in most parts of the state as party members who came out to participate in the exercise were disenfranchised.
According to him, “Of the 276 council wards, there was hardly anywhere that the materials were taken to. People waited, some in the rain; we didn’t see anybody, just for the results to be announced this morning.”
Orbunde maintained that the outcome of the primary could not be accepted by genuine party faithful, stressing that the development was capable of causing serious damage to the APC in Benue State if not properly addressed.
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“Of course, we are petitioning against it, and we feel it is even a danger to the party because the people waited patiently and saw nothing, and then the result has been announced. It cannot be acceptable. It is not at all,” he said.
He, however, urged his supporters and party members to remain calm, stating that he would pursue the matter through the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanism.
“But I will not stand here and tell you all my plans, but definitely I am ready to pursue this to the ultimate destination because it is endangering our party, and we do not want the APC in Benue State to suffer any damage as a result of the action of some people.”
Also speaking, another governorship aspirant, Mr Jeffrey Kuranun, who emerged in third position, also rejected the result of the primary, describing the entire exercise as a sham that should not be allowed to stand.
Kuranun alleged that the election was characterised by widespread irregularities, insisting that no credible primary election took place in many parts of the state due to the alleged diversion of election materials.
He said, “There were no elections because materials for the election were diverted, and I have video evidence of what transpired and to show that I won the election where it was conducted.”
