Jega Calls for Cooperation Among Parties in Benue

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called on political parties participating in the Saturday governorship election to play by the rule and give peace a chance.

Addressing a stakeholders’ forum for free, fair, peaceful and credible elections yesterday in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the INEC boss said the state ranked highest in violence at the last elections and called for restraint on the part of stakeholders in the state.

According to Jega, the level of disruption of electoral process witnessed in the state is incomparable to any other that we have seen in the election.

“We witnessed the highest incidences of violence and burning of INEC offices in Benue State at the last elections.”

“That is why I felt the need to come here in Makurdi to appeal to stakeholders for peace. Close to 200 card readers were destroyed in one local government alone but I have come with more card readers.”

He encouraged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the All Progressive Congress (APC), supporters and their leaders in the state to partner the commission to enable it conduct a peaceful and credible election in the state on Saturday.

Earlier, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof. Istifanus Dafwang, expressed uncertainty about the security of lives and properties in the coming elections, saying, “we don’t know what will happen this Saturday.”

He claimed that armed thugs were everywhere and that their number would far outweigh security personnel deployed for the polls, noting that the situation would be worst in the North-east senatorial district of the state where Governor Gabriel Suswam and Senator Barnabas Gemade hail from.