Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Monday swore in the newly elected local government chairmen, charging them to uphold the highest standards of governance without fear or favor.
The PUNCH reported on Sunday that the ruling All Progressives Congress won all 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship seats in the Benue State local government elections conducted on Saturday.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Monday, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party alleged that the election was marred by irregularities and demanded its cancellation.
However, Governor Alia insisted that the election was free, fair, and reflected the will of the Benue people.
Swearing in the new LG chairmen on Monday, the governor said, “To you, the newly elected chairmen, as you step into these roles, I charge you with a mission of utmost importance. Your duties will require you to work diligently, provide strategic leadership, and uphold the highest standards of governance without fear or favor.”
Such responsibility, according to the governor, demands integrity, foresight, and a steadfast dedication to the principles of accountability, transparency, fairness, and honesty in all their dealings.
The governor further urged the new chairmen to build on the developmental foundations laid by the outgoing LG caretaker committees.
“I urge you to de-emphasise personal gains in leadership and rather focus on bringing democratic deliverables closer to the people. Be reminded that leadership is about service and sacrifice, not personal glory.
“I must stress that no tier of government operates in isolation. Therefore, in light of the newly granted local government autonomy, I urge you to always collaborate with us at the state level to implement policies and programs that benefit our rural communities. This is especially important as we all share the same vision of re-writing the narrative of our beloved state and country in general,” Alia said.
However, in an interview with our correspondent, the Publicity Secretary of the Benue PDP, Tim Nyor, insisted that the poll that brought in the new LG chairmen was a charade and demanded that it be canceled.
Nyor said, “In the few areas where some semblance of the charade was orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress-led administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia, evidence erupted everywhere, including in the media space, of ballot stuffing and mass thumb-printing of ballots.
“The PDP is deeply saddened by this brazen display of a lack of integrity, not only by the Benue State Governor but also by the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), which reneged on its earlier promises to guarantee the electorate their right to exercise their voting franchise.
“Both Governor Alia and BSIEC have failed the Benue people and, in so doing, violated their sworn oath to uphold the integrity of the electoral process in the state.
“What transpired was nothing more than a mockery of democracy, a charade orchestrated to deceive the people and foist a puppet regime at the 23 local government councils of the state to perpetuate a vicious cycle of poverty, breeding underdevelopment at that tier of administration.
“We reiterate our call for the cancellation of Saturday’s council polls and the conduct of a fresh exercise, failing which we will explore the legal options available to us as a party.”
