Benue LG polls: Agatu protests ‘imposition’ of candidate

A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State has protested the emergence of one Comfort Echioda as the party’s chairmanship candidate for the area in the council polls expected to hold in June.

The protesters, led by Mr Omaluwa Abel, Tuesday, barricaded the entrance to the government house in Makurdi, where they demanded to speak with Governor Samuel Ortom.

Abel told newsmen that the chairmanship candidate was not only imposed on the APC in Agatu, but that there was no internal democracy in the process that led to her emergence.

“Besides, the woman in question hails from neighbouring Apa Local Government Area; she is not known to us in Agatu because she is not from here. Comfort Echioda was brought overnight and imposed on us and we say no,” he said.

The state government had earlier promised to constitute an appeal panel following complaints arising from the APC local government election primaries.

The state Deputy Governor, Engr.  Benson Abounu, had said while answering questions from newsmen in Makurdi, that the panel would look into complaints in line with the APC constitution.