From Austine Tule, Makurdi
Ahead of local government elections in Benue scheduled for March this year, people of Atirkyese Council Ward in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State have decried political marginalization against them.
They made their feelings known in a protest letter signed by Mr Terfa Nyior, Innocent Ibugh, Elder Adue Ge and 47 others and issued to newsmen on Monday in Makurdi.
The AUTHORITY gathered that Atirkyese is the ward of the late CJN, Justice Katsina Alu, former NAFDAC DG, Dr. Paul Orhii, former Managing Director, NEXIM Bank, Chief Robert Orya amongst others.
The letter stated among other things that they had been shortchanged in the sharing of elective positions for the forthcoming Local Government polls coming up in March.
It stated that the ward was to produce the Deputy Chairman in the forthcoming council polls.
It stated that the ward unanimously anointed Mr Moses Targema but his name was replaced with another name in a different council ward.
“We are calling for justice and fair play. The decision to pick the deputy chairman from the ward was arrived at the Benue Hotels, Makurdi.
“All the stakeholders in the Local Government unanimously agreed that the ward should produce the next deputy chairman in person of Targema.
“But when his name was submitted to the stakeholders, some of them connived replaced his name with another discreetly and submitted to the state secretariat of the PDP to forward to the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC).
“Signatures are collected across nine council wards out of the 11 wards in Ushongo LGA.
“With due respect and humility, we shall appreciate if the right thing is done,” it stated.
