23rd March, 2023
By Nicholas Dechi
The Benue chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has vowed to upturn the declaration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the winner of the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state.
The party said it will also challenge the victory of the APC candidates in the national assembly elections.
According to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission last Monday, Fr. Alia polled a total of 473,973 votes to defeat his closest rival, Rt. Hon. Titus Uba of PDP who scored a total of 223,915 votes.
APC candidates also won most of the National Assembly seats.
But PDP said it will challenge defeat of its candidates in the governorship and state assembly elections at the tribunal.
Acting PDP Chairman in Benue, Mr Isaac Mffo, made this known during a press conference on Thursday in Makurdi.
“It is the decision of the Benue Chapter of the PDP that the outcome of the March 18 elections be challenged at the state Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi.
“It is our belief that we owe democracy in our country, Nigeria, a duty to help deepen it by taking such an action to reverse the ‘hijacking’ of the popular mandate of the people as done by the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the last elections.
“It is our faith that the mandate of the Benue electorate will be restored to our great party as was rightfully given by the people on March 18,” Mffo said.
He said that the party owes a load of gratitude to their teeming members and supporters across the state who exhibited uncommon courage to go out and vote in the elections despite alleged heavy militarisation of the polls and the use of thugs, aided by security agents sent to the state by the Federal Authorities.
He commended the leader of the party in the state, Gov. Samuel Ortom; the governorship candidate, Mr Titus Uba, and his running mate, Mr John Ngbede, Senators Gabriel Suswam, Patrick Abba Moro and Orker Jev; National Assembly and State Assembly caucus members of the party, among many others.
(NAN)