The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Benue State, Mr. Emmanuel Jime, has fingered the State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom and two others in rigging the last governorship election in the state that was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Those allegedly fingered alongside Governor Ortom are his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam and former Minster of Interior, Abba Moro.
Suswam and Moro had earlier emerged Senators-elect for Benue North East and Benue South senatorial districts respectively.
In a statement signed by Kula Tersoo, Deputy Director, Jime/Ode Campaign Organisation and made available to Daily Independent in Makurdi on Sunday, Jime insisted that the governorship and state Assembly elections in the state were rigged.
Describing the allegations of electoral malpractice against the three persons, as “unprecedented electoral heist ever seen in the history of the state”. Jime further alleged that Suswam used the militia in rigging the election in his area.
According to him, “These militia helped him (Suswam) to intimidate and sack voters from polling centres to pave way for massive multiple thumb printing and general rigging in the five wards of Gaambe Tiev area of his Logo Local Government.
“Eventually, a cooked figure of over 30,000 votes were awarded to Ortom and the PDP while about 2,000 miserable votes donated for Jime and the APC.
“Same Suswam, we gathered on good authority connived with the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue state and got only his blood relations and kinsmen of Shitile (extraction) appointed as returning officers in the Benue North East senatorial district. We have the names of these returning officers, their relationship with him and will at the appropriate time, make the list public.
“This also explained why with glaring manipulation of votes, gubernatorial and House of Assembly results from the North East part of the state and particularly, Sankera axis were not cancelled.”
The APC governorship candidate further alleged that, “All petitions written against these elections by our (APC) collation agents were ignored.
“The returning officers detached all petitions from form EC40(G) before submitting at the INEC office in Makurdi.”, he stated.
Jime also accused Abba Moro for manipulating elections in Okungaga and the other 21 polling units of Ojiego ward, in Benue South senatorial district.
He however alleged that Governor Ortom had hijacked electoral materials meant for three council wards of Nongov; namely, Nzorov, Saghev and Kaambe in Guma Local Government where he manufactured over 28,000 votes for his party (PDP) and allocated less than 200 votes for APC.
Furthermore, Jime alleged that “… heavily armed Livestock Guards were on hand to intimidate voters to sell their PVC.”
While he stated that, “Presiding Officers were bribed and coerce to submission”, Jime said the affected persons had promised to testify in court, should the need arise.
