The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Benue State has alleged that the All Progressives Congress in the state is pressurising the Independent National Electoral Commission to alter the results of the Benue North West Senatorial elections.
The party also call on INEC to declare the authentic result of the zone B senatorial election without delay and avoid succumbing to the gimmicks of the ruling APC.
This is contained in a press release issued by Yanor Nyigbem Kukwa, Director, Media and Publicity, Zone B Senatorial Campagin for PDP, following the alleged suspected manipulation by APC.
Kukwa stressed that, “It has come to our notice that there are subterranean moves by the All Progressive Congress to circumvent all electoral laws and guidelines and announce an entirely different score for the Benue North West (Zone B) senatorial election so as to make it possible to declare the APC candidate Senator George Akume as winner against the leading candidate Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Yisa Orker Jev of the PDP.
“Rt. Hon. Orker Jev is comfortably leading by number of votes cast in several local government areas in the constituency. For instance, in Gwer West Local Government Areas the PDP candidate is leading by over nine thousand votes while in Gwer East he leads by over seven thousand votes.”
Giving the breakdown of the collated results from the local government in Zone B, Kukwa mentioned that, “Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Orker Jev of PDP is currently leading Senator George Akume of APC by 38,097 votes in 5 local governments. In Tarka LG: APC 12 705, PDP 4,921.Gwer West LG; APC 6,026, PDP 15,632 Gwer East LG; APC 13,990, PDP 20,529. Buruku LG; APC 12,897, PDP 27,633. Guma L.G.A; APC=6,172,BPDP=21,641.”
Kukwa who commended INEC in the state for conducting the election in a peaceful manner urged the commission not to compromise by declaring the wrong results.
“In Benue State, the Independent National Electoral Commission has conducted a highly commendable electoral exercise in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. The Commission should not taint its good job now by frustrating the wishes of the majority of the Benue Zone B constituents by pandering to the whims and ego of one man and end up discrediting their good works and the image of the commission.
“We want to point out that never in the history of Benue State has an election been as rancor free and voters expressed their freedom of choice in an enlightened and sophisticated manner”, Kukwa added.