Gemade calls for cancellation of Benue North-east Senatorial election 

Senator representing Benue North- east Senatorial District and Social Democratic Party (SDP) Senatorial candidate, Barnabas Gemade has called for cancellation of the senatorial election in his area.

Gemade was at INEC headquarters in Makurdi yesterday to file a petition against the election which he claimed was marred by irregularities in five out of the seven local government areas of the Senatorial District. 

He is currently contesting the Benue North- east Senatorial election alongside former Governor Gabriel Suswam of  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mrs Mimi Azape – Orubibi of the All Progressive Congress (APC) among others. 

He told journalists after a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), that he came to complain about the election in his zone.

He accused former Benue Governor, Gabriel Suswam of massively rigging the election, alleging that apart from Konshisha and Ukum LGAs, elections in Kwande, Katsina Ala, Ushongo and Vandeikya, which comprises the zone were rigged. 

But Suswam who also visited the INEC office after Gemade left, debunked the allegations saying Gemade was fabricating lies to discredit the election which, he said, was devoid of violence.

The PDP candidate maintained that he was not a staff of the electoral body to have been involved in the collation of results.

He said when Senator Gemade defeated him in 2015; he accepted it in good faith pointing out that he should do same if the final results favour him. 

“This kind of thing should not be coming from somebody like Gemade. In 2015, I even refused to take him to court. Gemade, based on result available to us is distance third position,” he added. 

Suswam also said in Konshisha where Gemade claimed election was fair; thugs went to some of the PDP strong holds and tore some of the results.

He said the REC has assured him that none of the electoral documents from the election in the zone would be tampered with.