Inside Nigeria
Benue Inconclusive Election: Ortom Urges Supporters to Remain Calm
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Benue State Gov Samuel Ortom has appealed to his supporters to remain calm stressing that his victory can only be delayed but never be denied him.
The governor who stated this in his reaction to the state’s governorship election that was declared inconclusive by INEC expressed the assurance that he would surely triumph at the end of the day.
“There is no need to worry about anything whether inconclusiveness or whatsoever they call it because I’m good to go.
“As a governor, I always believe in the rule of law. I want to give INEC the benefit of doubts that it will conduct a free, fair and credible election. I appeal to Benue people to remain calm and peaceful as they wait for the date to be announced by INEC for the rerun of the election.”
He stated that if he could lead with a difference of over 81,000 votes he would surely win the rerun elections whenever INEC was ready, stressing that all the places where the exercise could not hold or results canceled were PDP’s stronghold.
He enjoined security to ensure adequate security during the supplementary election positing that elections were not earlier conducted in those areas due to the violence allegedly unleashed in the areas by the opposition party.