Otukpo/Ohimini: David Mark, Lawrence Onoja’s children renew battle over APC reps ticket

Fresh controversy has erupted in the All Progressives Congress, APC, House of Representatives primary election for Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency of Benue State as children of former Senate President, Senator David Mark, and APC chieftain and former military governor, General Lawrence Onoja, renewed political rivalry over the party’s ticket.

IDOMA VOICE reports that the contest, which featured the daughter of former Senate President David Mark, Mrs. Blessing Onuh, and former Benue Information Commissioner, Lawrence Onoja Jnr, son of former military governor and APC stalwart, Chief Lawrence Onoja, has now degenerated into a fresh crisis within the party following allegations of fraud and manipulation.

Two aspirants in the election, Lawrence Onoja Jnr and Andrew Abu, have rejected the outcome of the exercise, insisting that no valid primary election took place in Otukpo and Ohimini Local Government Areas.

The aggrieved aspirants accused some party leaders of hijacking electoral materials meant for the exercise and diverting them to private hotels where what they described as “hotel primaries” were allegedly conducted to favour a preferred candidate.

Speaking after filing his appeal against the outcome of the election, Onoja Jnr alleged that electoral materials never arrived at the designated venues in the constituency.

According to him, the results eventually announced did not reflect the actual situation on ground.

“I was awarded 925 votes whereas in my ward alone, since the materials did not come, in the mock activities that took place I got 975 votes. I got far above that in my own ward alone,” he said.

Onoja Jnr also questioned the authenticity of the votes allegedly scored by the incumbent lawmaker, Mrs. Blessing Onuh.

“From the results, she got 17,000 votes. But if you go by the records, the registered APC members for both Otukpo and Ohimini LGAs are just a bit above 15,000. So how did she score 17,000 votes?” he queried.

The former Commissioner maintained that no primary election took place in the constituency.

“So I am here to say categorically that there was no election whatsoever, no primaries whatsoever took place in Otukpo and Ohimini. The materials never came to the constituency.

“We are here not out of bitterness but to make sure that the internal democratic processes within our party are adhered to. I have been a party man for 27 years and I have been in APC from inception,” he added.

Onoja Jnr further argued that the constituency had long maintained a rotational arrangement between Otukpo and Ohimini for the House of Representatives seat and insisted that the understanding should be respected.

“The electorate are very angry. There was even a protest in Otukpo that it is Ohimini’s turn this time around. So what we as a people rotate amongst ourselves, I don’t think it is right to shortchange Ohimini as a whole,” he said.

He disclosed that he had already submitted a petition to the APC leadership, describing the conduct of the exercise as a gross violation of both APC and INEC regulations.

“You cannot just change the venue of an election without informing people. You cannot deny people their right to vote.

“Taking it to a private place and conducting hotel primaries means whatever results they announced are null and void as far as we are concerned,” Onoja Jnr stated.

Also reacting, another aspirant, Andrew Abu, described the conduct of the primary as an “aberration of democracy.”

“I think what happened on Saturday was an aberration of democracy. Some persons feel they are too powerful and can take materials to private hotels and abscond with them after our supporters stood from morning till evening waiting,” Abu alleged.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the APC national leadership to intervene, warning that the party risked losing support at the grassroots if such actions continued.

“We are peaceful people. We have lived together for a long time with an understanding of rotating this House of Representatives seat between Otukpo and Ohimini.

“But for someone in the middle of the afternoon to hijack the election, I think it is not good for democracy and especially not good for APC,” he said.

Abu warned that imposing candidates through alleged manipulation of the process could create disaffection among party loyalists ahead of the general election.

“You decide to hijack materials and cut short the destiny of a lot of people because of one certain person somewhere. That will be rejected at all costs,” he added.