Benue PDP Rejects Presidential & National Assembly Elections, Fault INECs Inability To Follow Electoral Laws

By Admin

People’s Democratic Party,PDP, Benue State chapter has described the process the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, used in conducting both the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state as falling short of standards stipulated in the enabling laws for the exercise.

The parties position which was made known during a press conference addressed yesterday,at the parties secretariat by the state acting chairman of the PDP Mr Isaac Mfo in Makurdi,on the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25, said after due consultation with stakeholders and consideration of findings of the legal department,the party decided that the process of the said elections conducted by INEC in the state did not conform with the standards for the exercise.
He said “it is our considered opinion as a political party and a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s democratic process that provisions of the Electoral Act (2022 As Amended) in Sections 60 (5) and 148 which empower the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, to make guidelines for the conduct of the elections were grossly violated.
“In this regard, we consider it a matter of grave concern that Clauses 38 and 93 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Election, 2022, which make mandatory the transmission of election results electronically from the polling units to the INEC Server were serially flouted.”
According to the state PDP acting chairman,the above identified breaches of extant laws he argued raised a fundamental issue of non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, a situation which he noted impinged negatively on the credibility of the election, adding that consequently, PDP in Benue State rejects the outcome of both the Presidential and National Assembly elections held in certain local government areas of Benue State on 25th February, 2023, for the reason of the breaches of law cited above.
He said “our great party calls for the cancellation of the results returned from those local government areas and has duly forwarded a Letter of Protest to INEC to that effect”adding that the party has equally mandated its Legal department to approach the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja and the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi to challenge the results of the elections in those local government areas as returned and announced by INEC.
The state acting Chairman maintained that the decision and action of the party in this regard is borne out of belief in the sanctity of the electoral process as the sole avenue through which the people may recruit and mandate those to govern over their affairs in the quest for peace, security and prosperity, and the rule of law as the order under which justice, fairness and equity may be guaranteed for all citizens.
Mr Mfo equally lamented the issue of renewed attacks on rural communities across Benue State in Kwande, Logo, Guma, Gwer-West and Agatu local government areas by suspected Fulani herdsmen which he noted have resulted in loss of lives, destruction of properties including farms and consequent displacement of people from their lands, stating that
those attacks, if not halted by security forces, would further worsen the problem of low voters turnout at the coming Governorship and State Assembly elections slated to hold on 11th March, 2023 across the state.

He called on the All Progressives Congress,APC, controlled Buhari regime to rise up to its responsibility by deploying security agents to protect the lives and properties of Benue people from the herdsmen who have terrorised the state for too long.

The state acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party,PDP, also denied insinuations flying over the social media in the last 24 hours that the Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party,PDP,Engr. Titus Uba, has stepped down from the March 11th, 2023 gubernatorial elections.