Makarfi sues Benue SIEC

The National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sued the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) before a Federal High Court, sitting in Makurdi, over alleged rejection of its candidates for the June 3 local government elections in the state.

In the suit filed by its team of lawyers, the Makarfi -led PDP urged the court to stop BSIEC from holding elections in the 23 local government areas of the state, pending when the commission accepted their candidates.

The faction also prayed the court to compel the commission to recognise their state chairman, Sir John Ngbede and his executive as authentic PDP leaders in the state.

The Makarfi faction also asked the court to forthwith, stop all forms of recognition being accorded to the Senator Ali Modu Sherriff’s faction of the party in the state, led by Mr Dan Ale.

The state Publicity Secretary of the Makarfi-led PDP, Bemgba Iortyom, told our correspondent yesterday in Makurdi, that they approached the court when they saw that the APC and other parties had fielded their candidates for the local government elections in order to get clear interpretation on what the PDP should do.

Iortyom also faulted the BSIEC’s decision to recognize the names purportedly sent by the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.

“The list which contained the candidates’ names was not by Sheriff and so, the commission shouldn’t have recognized it,” he said. When contacted, the BSIEC’s Information Officer, Mr Augustine Odiba, said they were yet to receive the court papers.