Last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections were characterised by various irregularities in Benue State, it has been learnt.
The state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Leader and former Governor George Akume made the allegation against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
He said: “There was total lack of security to ensure compliance with the Electoral Act and this opened the gate for these irregularities to be carried out with impunity.
“The lack of security, for instance, made it possible for Governor Samuel Ortom, who is supposed to be the Chief Security Officer of Benue State, to become the biggest security violator in the state. He trained and armed a group of criminals whom he calls the ‘Livestock Guards’ and who were meant originally to enforce the anti-open grazing law currently in operation in Benue.
“The ‘Livestock Guards’ have since the approach of elections abandoned their mandate and have become Governor Ortom’s private army authorised to harass, intimidate and even kill those who do not support him. Governor Ortom has also imported police and army uniforms, which he has distributed to the so-called ‘Livestock Guards’ to visit mayhem on defenceless citizens.
“The former head of the ‘Livestock Guards’, Mr Aliyu Teshaku, said in a recent media interview that the ‘Livestock Guards’ are led by convicted criminals whose names he gave during the interview. The activities of these so-called ‘Livestock Guards’ were particularly noticeable in Guma, Gwer West, Gwer East, Gboko, Logo, Kwande and Vandeikya local government areas during last Saturday’s elections.
“To convince the voters in the state that they mean business in their assignment to assassinate anybody who stands in their way – the killer squads – which have been spread across Benue State since February 14, gunned down the APC Chairman in Ohimini Local Government Area, after he left a meeting with his party comrades. It was a clear case of political assassination.
“Apart from killing political opponents, the ‘Livestock Guards’ have been doing their best to cause a breakdown of law and order in Benue by either attacking farmers under the guise of herdsmen or killing or rustling herdsmen’s cattle. All these tactics are aimed at creating an atmosphere of insecurity and scaring away genuine voters and agents of opposing political parties.
“In the targeted local government areas, most of which are in the North West Senatorial District of the state, and even beyond, political thugs employed by the governor’s party, the PDP, had a field day by hijacking ballot boxes and other electoral materials.
“These were then taken to places where the ordinary voter had no access and the ballot papers stamped. Fantastic votes were subsequently allocated to PDP candidates, as dictated by agents of the party, while small votes were allocated to other parties. It is based on these fabricated figures that the INEC in the wee hours of Tuesday morning announced a result indicating that President Muhammadu Buhari had been defeated by Atiku Abubakar with a gap of over 7,000 votes in Benue State.
“A report released by Mr Jimmy Feyisola George of Grass Roots Empowerment IPD, an accredited INEC independent local observer, said the irregularities and manipulations were targeted at Senator George Akume, the senator representing the district, who was also in the race for re-election in last Saturday’s polls.
“The observers noted in their report that the irregularities were most prevalent in voting units at: Binev, Mbaya, Etulo, and Mbaikaan, Mbaatirkyaa, Mbaapen Wards of Buruku local government areas.
“Mbachouhou, Gbaage-Tongov, Deneb Nyamshi, Sengev-Yenge and Tijime wards of Gwer-West Local Government Area (were also affected).
“In Gboko Local Government Area, the malpractices were most common in Yandev, Anshangapa, Ipav, Mbakper and others. The hijacked materials were taken to the house of an erstwhile senator and prominent politician where the mass thumb-printing of the ballot papers was done in favour of the PDP.
“In Gwer-East Local Government Area, the malpractices were prevalent in Mbalom and Ikyonov wards while in Guma and Makurdi local government areas, the malpractices were found mostly in Nzorov, Mbadwem, Saav and part of Abinsi.
“Given the extent of malpractices recorded by the accredited observers, they have called for a cancellation of the results for the North West Senatorial District in Benue State.
“There is a big question waiting for an answer about the ‘Janjaweed-like’ election in Benue State: What is the role of INEC in the farce? This question is very pertinent because for reasons that are very difficult to see, INEC workers appear to have collaborated fully with those involved in this massive electoral heist.
“It is pertinent that a full investigation is carried out to find out what role was played by individuals and institutions in the anti-democratic exercise that took place in Benue State on February 23.”