Nigeria Content Online

The People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) has retained majority of the Benue seats in the
National Assembly, overall official results of the just concluded
election show.

According to the
results released by the Benue office of the Independent National
Commission (INEC), the PDP won two contested senate seats in the state
and also won six of the nine contested seats in the Federal House of
Representatives. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won the remaining
three Federal House of Representatives seats.

David Mark (PDP),
current senate president, was declared winner of the Benue South
senatorial district with 62.19 percent of the total votes cast while
Barnabas Gemade, also of the PDP, won the Benue North-East senatorial
district by 59.30 percent of the total votes cast.

Hassan Aalch (PDP)
won the Ado/Ogbadidgo/Okpoku federal constituency with 73.76 percent of
the total votes cast. The party also won the Agatu/Apa federal
constituency seat where Adamu Entono won with 64.9 percent of the total
votes cast.

Orker Jev Yisa of
the ACN won Buruku federal constituency with 68 percent on the total
votes cast. John Dyegh, also of the ACN won Gboko/Tarka federal
constituency with 72.48 percent of the total votes cast, and Aboho
Benjamin, ACN too, won Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency with 53.94
percent.

Emmanuel Lyambee
Jime (PDP) won Markudi/Guma with 51.26 percent of the votes cast. Okwu
Samson also of the PDP won Obi/Oju federal constituency with 54.42
percent while Ezekiel Adaji won Ohimini/Otukpo federal constituency
with a slim margin of 45.95 percent of votes cast.

Hembe Herman Iorwase, a serving Rep member, won Konshisha/Vandekya federal constituency with 61.86 percent.

ACN to protest

The leaders of the
ACN in the state say they are not satisfied with the results. Abba
Yarro, the state chairman of the party said the election was rigged and
that the party is considering petitioning INEC and going to court over
the results.

Before the
elections, the ACN had put up a formidable presence especially in the
northern part of the state and won three of the five contested House of
Representatives seats in the area. Elections were postponed in two
constituencies in that area.

Election into the
Benue North-West senatorial seat, considered the strongest hold of ACN
in the state, was also postponed till April 26, date of the
much-awaited governorship poll.

No jubilation

Despite the clear
victory of PDP in the elections across the state, wild jubilation was
only observed in the Otukpo residence of the senate president.
Markurdi, the state capital was quiet, as security officials paraded
the streets. However, three busloads of young men, supporters of the
ACN, on Monday protested carrying placards.