Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has described the trending video on social media concerning the thumbprinting of ballot papers by some individuals during the just-concluded local government elections in the state as a ploy to ridicule his government.
The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, in a statement issued on Thursday, characterised the video as a stage-managed drama orchestrated by his opponents.
The statement read in part, “Upon thorough review, it is clear that the video is an obvious stage-managed drama, orchestrated by those who seek to undermine the good governance of His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.
“We found no credible evidence linking this fabricated content to the governor or his administration.
“Prior to the elections, credible sources informed us of underhand plans by some opposition elements to discredit the electoral process. This video appears to be one of their tactics to cast a shadow over what was a transparent and violence-free election.
Contrary to the video, the governor stated that the election marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time in many years that voters in Benue had access to ballot papers for local government elections.
“For the first time in Benue State, since the final resurgence of democracy in Nigeria, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) recruited and meticulously trained all ad hoc staff for the polls.
“There was also a massive deployment of ad hoc staff and sensitive and non-sensitive materials distributed in the full glare of the media and political party agents.
“This achievement should be celebrated rather than tarnished,” the statement read in part.
The governor emphasised that his administration is committed to transparency and accountability in governance and will not be deterred by attempts to mislead the public.
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