Benue 2019: Gov. Ortom reiterates commitment to peaceful elections

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, reiterates his commitment to peaceful elections in the state and calls on all stakeholders to eschew violence and conduct that could trigger a breakdown of law and order.

He appeals to his supporters in particular to exercise restraint even in the face of extreme provocation and to report any person or group which breaches the peace to law enforcement agents.

The Governor states that it became necessary to reiterate his position following accusations that he stopped the rally of an opposition party in Gbajimba, Guma local government area today.

It could be recalled that no one hindered the opposition from using the IBB Square in Makurdi nor disrupted their campaign flag off in the state capital.

Attempts to link the Governor with a failed campaign effort in his home local government area to smear his name is therefore baseless and unfounded to say the least.

Governor Ortom states categorically that he did not instruct or direct any person to disrupt or stop any rally.

He condemns the destruction of his campaign materials in Gbajimba and Daudu in Guma as well as several other places including Wannune in Tarka and Lessel in Ushongo local government areas and calls on the police and other security agents to arrest and prosecute those found culpable.

Yet the Governor observes that it takes more than posters and other campaign materials to win election and that as such their destruction, like it happened in 2015, does not make him or anyone to lose.

He notes that he does not have any antecent of violence in his close to forty years in politics and has never resorted to it and the use of thugs to prosecute his campaigns or win elections.

Governor Ortom reminds the people that anytime he is called open to promote a peaceful political process he makes himself personally available and also personally signs agreements for peaceful conduct of polls.

He regrets however, that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state has failed to demonstrate a similar commitment and is rather conducting its activities in conformity with intelligence reports already made public that it plans to cause anarchy in Benue State in the face of glaring, inevitable, and irreversible impending defeat at the polls.

The Governor urges the people of the state to resist such plans which he says will fail like all the other previous attempts at impunity in the state.

He calls on law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest and prosecute all those who breach the peace and assures them of his support to take necessary steps to forestall a break down of law and order in the state.