Concerned youths in Benue State have expressed dismay over attempts by major political parties in the state to disenfranchise them by denying them quality representation in next year’s general elections.
Under the aegis of the Benue Youths Forum (BYF), the youth faulted the emergence of candidates of the Labour Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidates for next year’s general elections.
They also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly taking sides with some of the officials of the Labour Party and the APC to impose candidates on the parties.
The President of the Forum, Comrade Terrence Kuanum told reporters in Abuja at the weekend that the processes that produced the candidates of the parties were illegal as those parading themselves as the flag-bearers were not members of the parties.
He said his organisation would not only go to court to challenge the anomalies but also has petitioned INEC not to recognise the candidates.
Kuanum said: “Let’s make it clear for instance that out of 23 local government areas in Benue State, the APC submitted the register of members from 21 local government areas. Vandeikya and Katsina-Ala local government areas were not submitted to INEC because there were no registers for them.
“How can you turn around and say the APC governorship candidate emerged from Vandeikya when there are documentary evidence and written communications to the contrary?
“We suspect that the INEC Administrative Secretary compromised because Benue State has no INEC Commissioner. The same scenario applies to the Labour Party.”
The BYF President insisted that unless the matter is addressed, the Forum would consider the APC not having a governorship candidate for next year’s elections.
He urged the INEC to do the needful before the windows opened for submissions and substitution of candidates closed, asserting that the youth in Benue would not want to waste their votes in next year’s general elections.