Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has disclosed that this is the first time in many years that voters in Benue have had access to ballot papers for local government elections.
Governor Alia made this known while reacting to the recent video circulating on social media about the just-concluded local government polls showing irregularities. The video said, “ This video is the handwork of mischief makers to ridicule the Government of Benue State.
A statement by the Chief Secretary to Governor Tersoo Kula quoted the governor emphasising that his administration is committed to transparency and accountability in governance and will not be deterred by attempts by mischief makers to mislead the public.
According to him, this video, which has been used to ridicule the Government of Benue State and the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, is nothing more than an unfortunate attempt by desperate individuals to score cheap political points.”
He said, “Upon thorough review, it is clear that the video is an apparent stage-managed drama orchestrated by those seeking to undermine Alia’s good governance.
“We found no credible evidence linking this fabricated content to the governor or his administration.”
“Before the elections, credible sources informed us of underhand plans by some opposition elements to discredit the electoral process. This video appears to be one of their tactics to cast a shadow over a transparent and violence-free election.”
“It is important to note that this election marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time in many years that voters in Benue had access to ballot papers for local government elections.
“For the first time in Benue state, since the final resurgence of democracy in Nigeria, BSIEC recruited and meticulously trained all ad-hoc staff for the polls. There was also a massive deployment of ad-hoc staff and sensitive and non-sensitive materials distributed in the full glare of the media and political party agents.
