From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), on Monday said local government elections would be held on Saturday, May 7.
BSIEC’s Commissioner in charge of Information and Public Affairs Hon Sunday Agbaji disclosed this while briefing newsmen in his office in Makurdi, shortly after a Stakeholders’ forum organised by BSIEC for critical stakeholders in the election including political parties, security agents, media and civil society organisations (CSOs).
Agbaji noted that the era of the caretaker committee for local government council is gone in the state adding that such arrangement is no longer fashionable and obtainable at both state and federal levels.
He disclosed that the state government is working assiduously to entrench and replicate the transition of one democratically elected local government leadership to another without constituting a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the third tier of government in the state.
Agbaji explained further that the Chairman of the Commission, Tersoo Loko is determined to make history in Benue State in particular and Nigeria in general by conducting another Local Government election within the regime of an incumbent governor.
He disclosed further that the state governor, Samuel Ortom had assured of his unalloyed support to the electoral umpire to enable it to conduct credible, fair and free local government polls that would be acceptable to the masses.