APC distributes materials for Benue NASS primaries, pledges credible exercise

By Peter Duru

The All Progressives Congress, APC, National Assembly Primary Election Committee for Benue State has distributed election materials to Returning Officers for the House of Representatives primaries across the 23 Local Government Areas, LGA, of the state, with assurances of transparency, fairness and credibility in the exercise.

Speaking before the distribution of the materials in Makurdi, Chairman of the APC National Assembly Election Committee for Benue State, Alhaji Sabiu Mahuta, said the committee was fully prepared to conduct peaceful and acceptable primaries despite delays caused by logistics and security arrangements.

“We were here yesterday and we told you of our resolve and preparedness to come and conduct this primary election in this state for the APC,” Mahuta said.

“We promised that we would be here as early as 6:30, 7:00 or 8:00. For issues related to logistics and other security arrangements, we could not come as we promised. But here we are still, though a bit late, but certainly better because we have become more prepared, more organized and more committed.”

He stressed that the committee remained committed to conducting transparent and credible primaries across the state.

“We want the situation to be peaceful as we have been preaching and assuring yesterday. We maintain our words and we want to reiterate that we are here to ensure transparent, fair, credible and by the grace of God, acceptable primary elections for the APC in this state,” he stated.

Mahuta explained that voting would be conducted using the certified APC membership register in all wards, adding that only registered party members would participate in the exercise.

“The election is going to be for all the registered members of the All Progressives Congress. We are going to use the register of the certified members of APC for each ward to do accreditation for anybody who will vote in this primary election,” he said.

He disclosed that result sheets would be issued for all wards and local governments and must be endorsed by agents of all contestants before submission.

“For other locations where we have contestants, local government returning officers, I want to emphasize that you must have all the agents for each of the contestants sign the result sheets and make it public and authentic before we accept it,” Mahuta said.

The committee chairman also outlined conditions for consensus arrangements, insisting that all candidates involved must submit written letters confirming their withdrawal and agreement to the consensus.

“Before we do affirmation for every seat, we must have a written consensus agreement by all the contestants. That is one of the conditions,” he added.

Warning against acts capable of undermining the credibility of the exercise, Mahuta urged Returning Officers to remain impartial, saying “Returning officers, yes, you may be party members, but we don’t expect you to be partisan. Every candidate, every contestant is a member of APC and must be treated fairly and equally,” he warned.

He cautioned that “We are not going to tolerate anybody who is coming with anything that would tempt or destroy the credibility of this election.”

He said the committee would reconvene at the end of the exercise for collation and official announcement of winners.

Also speaking, the Benue State Chairman of APC, Benjamin Omale, assured party members that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure peaceful and transparent primaries across the state.

Omale dismissed concerns over the late distribution of election materials, insisting that the priority was to ensure a smooth process. “The most important thing is to ensure that everything is put in order to ensure a smooth exercise,” he said.

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