Benue youth allege INEC under pressure to subvert guber re-run

National President of Benue Youth Forum, Comrade Terrence Kuanum has raised the alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was under intense pressure from high quarters to subvert the coming Benue state governorship re-run election in favour of the APC.

He warned that any external interference to skew the process in favour of any party would be resisted by Benue youth and advised those plotting to compel the state resident electoral commissioner to announce the APC as winner of the re –run poll against the wishes of the majority of the people of the state, to also make available body bags to evacuate Benue youths who are prepared to die for a course they believe in.

Comrade Kuanum, who spoke in Makurdi, said that Benue youth have it on good authority that the state REC, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda had allegedly come under intense pressure from the APC to subvert the re-run election in the state and announce the APC candidate as winner.

“The plan is for INEC to announce the APC candidate winner of the election while PDP heads to the tribunal to seek justice which will not be served.

The APC and its co-travelers are pressuring INEC to destroy Benue state for their own greed even when it is obvious that the re-run is nothing, but an academic exercise because Gov. Samuel Ortom has a lead margin of over 80, 000 votes.

“Moreover, we also have it on record that in the 179 polling units where elections were cancelled which are known PDP strongholds, with registered voter strength of 121, 019, not more than 70, 000 of the electorate have Permanent Voters’ Cards, even at that, there is no way voter turnout in these places can hit 40 per cent.

“We’re confident of victory; PDP Benue youth have said and we will reiterate that nobody, would impose a governor on us.

We will freely choose our governor and he is the one who has continued to stand in defense of the people and that is why we came out en masse a week ago to vote him to show gratitude and we will do it again on March 23.”

When contacted, the INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Benue state, Mr. Emma Okpe said “it is not true that we are under pressure to announce anybody winner of the March 23 re-run, these are mere rumours in the town.”