From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Chairman, Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, BSIEC, Barr. Richard Terlumum Tombowua has stressed that they followed strictly the guidelines and timeline for conduct of the recent local government polls.
Recall that local government election was held on the 5th October, 2024, with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, winning all 23 local government areas of the State.
Barr. Tombowua said while receiving an award of ‘Defender of Democracy’ from Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Radio Benue Chapter in his office on Tuesday, that the commission carried out a transparent process before and after the election, insisting that they conducted the election within the given time frame in spite of several pressures by stakeholders to postpone it.
He also dismissed claims that there were external influence on the commission, maintaining strongly, ‘nobody interfered in the conduct of the election’.
“People who were not at home during and after the election are the ones alleging that there was no election. We followed due diligence in the conduct of the election ensuring that all results were collated before declaration of final result”.
