Loading ...From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
The Deputy Governor of Benue state, Engr Benson Abounu said that election materials for Idabi Polling Unit in Okete Council Ward, Otukpo LGA, Benue were on Saturday snatched by known gunmen.
Following this ballot snatching, over 917 eligible, registered voters were completely disenfranchised in one polling unit.
Abounu told journalists in Otukpo that as early as 8am, a Keke NAPEP which was conveying sensitive materials to Idabi polling unit, in Okete ward, in Otukpo LGA was waylaid and hijacked, ballot papers, snatched and taken away by known people.
He, however, said that the names of the perpetrators has been given to the police to enable them fish out the culprits.
He said as a result of the attack, over 917 eligible, registered voters were completely disenfranchised.
He said that he reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer but he did not act swiftly to arrest the ugly situation.
”He did not act until the former Senate President, Sen. David Mark spoke to the Area Commander that was when both of them came to the area and this was around 2pm and the incident occurred at 8:30am,” he said.
He further lamented that the voting process was terribly slow thereby keeping the electorate waiting longer than necessary just to be accredited and to vote.
He said that the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar once raised an alarm that some people were trained in China on how to manipulate the Smart Card Readers so that they could be working very slow in order to disenfranchise some voters especially in states where the opposition has a stronghold, yet results will be given.
He said that with what he saw going on in some polling units, he was tempted to believe that the alarm raised by Atiku had come to reality.
“As a compatriot of this nation, I feel very sad that majority of Nigerian politicians think only about their selfish aims. Nobody cares or bothers about the nation. What is happening now may spell doom for the generation to come and if we do not get it right, we may be heading to trouble,” he said.
The Deputy Governor therefore advised INEC and the Nigerian government to get it right by allowing the will of the people to prevail. “Let the people elect the persons they want to rule them. But that is not happening at the moment”, he said.
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