The Local Government Congresses of the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been stalled due to protests by dissatisfied members of the party.
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The protests were sparked by allegations of list manipulation and misappropriation of Congress materials.
The party has been plagued by confusion following the inconclusive outcomes of the ward congresses in July.
The list provided to party stakeholders in Makurdi did not match the compilation made at the ward level during the congresses.
This led to a tense atmosphere at the party’s headquarters, with security personnel deployed to maintain law and order.
A group of individuals suspected of being political agitators gathered at the headquarters, chanting solidarity songs. Distraught party stakeholders and members have maintained a vigil at the headquarters, awaiting the arrival of electoral officials from the national secretariat in Abuja.
The organization of the recent ward-level congresses has led to considerable confusion and controversy, particularly regarding the suspensions and counter-suspensions of members accused of anti-party activities. Chaos ensued upon the arrival of the electoral officials from Abuja, as they were prevented from distributing materials necessary for the local government congresses.
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Party members demanded the list of candidates for the local government congresses and the results from the last ward congresses, which the officials were unable to provide. The electoral officers from Abuja were forced to leave the party’s headquarters by protesting members.
The acting chairman of the party, AVM Napoleon Bali, and members of his committee escaped the headquarters in a convoy headed towards an undisclosed location.
