by Nurat Uthman
The Chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, Telumun Tombowua, announced on Thursday that eight political parties are expected to participate in the upcoming local government election.
He listed the political parties participating in the election, which include the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Labour Party, the Action Alliance Congress, the Social Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Zenith Labour Party.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Tombowua also stated that no court can stop the conduct of the election, except God.
The BSIEC chairman, who promised a free and fair election, explained that the law establishing the commission does not permit the use of a Bimodal Voter Accreditation Machine for the election.
Tombowua added that the national working committee of the ruling APC had written to the commission regarding the seven-man committee appointed to oversee the party’s affairs in the state.
He said, “Fourteen political parties actually indicated interest, but only eight political parties completed the processes and submitted their lists of candidates.
Therefore, only eight political parties will be participating in the upcoming election.
“Regarding the purported factions within the APC, the national working committee of the party has instructed us to deal only with the seven-man committee appointed.”
The commission chairman, however, alleviated concerns about the possibility of any aggrieved APC group seeking a court order to restrain the commission from conducting the election, stating that the law establishing the commission, as amended, forbids the court from interfering in the electoral process.
“There is nothing that will stop this election, aside from God, because the latest amendment to the Electoral Law has prohibited court interference in any activity leading to our election.
“So whether you go to court or have an injunction or not, it will not stop us from conducting this election, according to the latest Benue State LG amended law,” the BSIEC chairman concluded.
