Akume denies using soldiers to hijack election materials

The Senate minority leader, George Akume, has denied using soldiers to hijack election materials in Gboko, Benue State.

Governor Samuel Ortom, and two former senate president, David Mark and Iyorchia Ayu, had, on Sunday evening, stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headquarters in Makurdi over alleged hijack of the zone B elections result by soldiers allegedly influenced by Akume.

But Akume, who also stormed the INEC headquarters an hour after Ortom left, denied the allegation, saying, “it was very, very untrue; very, very unfair.”

He added, “the man (Ortom) is fond of getting involved in so many generalisations, mistruth and falsehood. I have never seen a man in such a position of responsibility behave this way. He cannot substantiate what he has told you. Nobody has seen me with any military personnel, nobody has seen me with policemen going about.

“I voted in my own polling unit and I retired to my house and later in the evening, left for Makurdi. Anybody who know this governor will always conclude that he is a man of violence.”

Akume however, expressed confidence he will be reelected, stressing that he had always contested and won even when in opposition party.

“So my seat is not threatened and I want to assure you, no matter the amount of padding.”