The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed elections in Konshisha and Apa Local Government Areas of Benue State due to disruptions in the polling units.

The Public Relations Officer of INEC, Terka Andyar said the disruption was caused by “Lack of ballot papers in some polling units, destruction of election materials by hoodlums, and late arrival of materials to some polling units. 85 percent success rate was recorded in all the polling units were the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were deployed so we are very happy”.

He told Voice of Nigeria that collation will take place at the ward collation Centre than at the local government collation Centre for the Senate and House of Representatives results declaration while the Presidential results will be at the state collation Centre, these will take place at different times of the day.

The electoral officers are currently reporting to the local government collation offices to submit all materials used for the election and turn in their results.

Meanwhile, Michael Kassai ward collection officer at Fidi ward collation centre situated within the UBE Junior Secondary school Makurdi, said 85 percent results had so far been collated out of 100 polling units under their purview.

On a sad note, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen militia have reportedly killed 13 people killed in separate attacks on three communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State in the early hours of Sunday.

Locals from the area told newsmen that the herders, who were heavily armed, stormed Tse- Lgar, Tse Magu and Tse Dudu all in Guma LGA. where they murdered 13 people.

A local who identified himself simply as Denen said that eight people were killed at Tse-Lgar, three at Tse-Magu and another two killed at Tse- Dudu.

Denen said that the attackers invaded the communities early hours of Sunday when the villagers were still in bed sleeping.

“People were still sleeping when they stormed the three communities at the same time and killed people. Eight people were killed at Tse- Lgar, three people were killed at Tse-magu and two others killed at Tse-dudu in Daudu. So in all, 13 people were killed and some people injured.”

When contacted, the Chairman of the local government, Mike Uba who spoke through the council Security Adviser, Christopher Waku, confirmed the attacks and said that 13 people were killed.

“Yes, some suspected herders, again, early hours of today, Sunday, invaded three villages; Tse-Lgar, Tse-magu and Tse Dudu all in the local government and killed 13 people,” Waku said.

As at the time of filing, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Benue state police command, SP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive such information.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Security Matters, Paul Hemba, confirmed the incident.

“Yes it is true. Those who are wounded are currently at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, receiving treatment.”

Hemba stated that the casualty figures would have been higher if the security personnel had not responded swiftly to put the situation under control.

He said calm has returned to the area as security personnel have been drafted to the area.

PIAK

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has conducted rerun elections in 2 polling units in Otukpo local government Area of Benue state.

The affected polling units were Asa-Echicho 7/19/012 and Umwaba-Oju 7/19/13/010

INEC’s Monitoring official, Dashibil Sardak Phillips, confirmed this in an interview with Voice of Nigeria in Otukpo local government Area of Benue State north-central Nigeria.

According to her, the rerun was conducted due to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines

malfunctioning.

As at the time of filing this report, seven wards from the 13 wards in the local government Area have been submitted for collation and six still on the way.

Although, Saturday’s election went smoothly and hitch-free in most polling units, some places like, Asa-Echich, Umwaba-Oju and court fence had issues.

To this effect, the local government electoral officer, Mr. Dashan Mutsan,  explained that the Sunday 26 February rerun election went on peacefully and collation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, Okete ward, Ojira and Ward 3 in Otukpo local government Area, had violence from some angry youths while the votes were being counted.

2 deaths have been recorded and some injured.

PIAK

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has commenced the collation of presidential election results in Benue State, North Central Nigeria.

Results have been collated from two Local Governments in the state so far, with four major contending political parties leading in the presidential race which has 18 candidates.

In Tarka Local Government, the country home of Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, the Collation Officer, Professor David Gungur indicated that the All Progressives Congress, APC scored a total of 13, 240 votes while Labour Party polled 2,038 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP scored 2,642 votes in Tarka Local Government while the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP got 37 votes.

Elsewhere in Buruku Local Government, the Collation Officer, Professor Grace Gberikyon announced that the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu, scored 20,248 votes while the Labour Party got 13,466 votes.

According to the result, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP got 6,909 votes in Buruku Local Government while New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP scored 240 votes.

Before the commencement of the collation of results, the Benue State Collation Officer, Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta, commended security operatives, the media and political parties for educating the electorates to be peaceful before, during and after the voting exercise.

Professor Kuta observed that if the nation’s electoral process can be sustained in a peaceful atmosphere, Nigeria will soon catch up with advanced democracies like the United States.

Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu acknowledged challenges during the presidential polls in about 72 Polling Units in some locations across the state.

He announced that the Presidential and National Assembly elections were still being held in several Polling Units in the state following technical and logistic problems encountered on February 25.

Professor Egwu said the state office of the Commission was only being used as a Collation Center as the final declaration of the Presidential results would be done in Abuja by the National Chairman of the Commission.

He explained that the State Collaboration Officer was not in the state to serve as adjudication Officer and urged those with grudges to wait until the constitution of an Electoral Petitions Tribunal to ventilate their cases.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner particularly commended security operatives in the state for their commitment to a peaceful democratic process.

Voice of Nigeria reports that at the time of filing this report, the Commission had proceeded on a three hour break to reconvene at 9 pm after collating results from 2 Local Governments as results from the remaining 21 local governments were still being expected.

PIAK

The Collation of results for the  Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Kwara State North Central Nigeria has been shifted till 8 pm Sunday evening.

This is due to the late arrival of results from about eight local governments that are far away from Ilorin, the State capital or areas where results are still being collated.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mallam Attahiru Madami made the announcement at about five o’clock on Sunday evening.

However, the collation of results for the  Presidential and the National Assembly elections in the state has reached an advanced stage.

Out of the sixteen local government results from about nine local governments for both presidential and partly National Assembly have been concluded.

The local governments whose results have been concluded include, Oke- Ero, Ilorin East, Asa ,Offa, Ekiti, Irepodun and Oyun local governments.

In the presidential results for Oke -Ero local government, APC polled 6,016, PDP 3074, LP scored 592, NNPP,16 and SDP, 938.

For  Ilorin East,APC polled 24,264, PDP , scored 13,325 ,LP 2409, NNPP 132 and SDP scored 2843.

In Asa local government, APC scored 15123 votes,PDP polled 10,482,LP scored 678, and NNPP 116.
In Offa local government,APC scored 19,475,PDP polled 3508, LP scored 1444,NNPP polled 71 and SDP scored 1347.

In Ekiti local government,APC scored 5739,PDP,polled 3760,LP scored 721 and NNPP polled 13.

For Isin local government,APC scored 4484,and PDP scored 2506.

In Irepodun local government,APC scored  11,545, PDP polled 6,368 LP scored 300 and NNPP 113,

In Oyun local government,APC  scored 8,838, PDP 4,298 ,LP 06 and NNPP polled 1,867.
In Ilorin South local government for Presidential,APC scored 21,620,PDP10,806,LP scored 7274 and NNPP polled 166.

For Senatorial elections Asa local government, APC scored 1,4911,PDP 10,890,LP 455,and NNPP scored 139.

In Ilorin East and Ilorin South local government, APC scored 2,481, and 22,277, PDP  polled 1,379 and 12389,LP scored 1349 and 4156 while NNPP polled 121 and 158.