Benue prepares for Oct. 5 local government elections

The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has announced that eight political parties will participate in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5.

BSIEC Chairman, Mr. Richard Tombowua, shared the update during a press briefing in Makurdi on Thursday. He confirmed that the commission is actively preparing to ensure a smooth election process.

Tombowua revealed that although 14 political parties initially expressed interest, only eight have fielded candidates. The participating parties include the African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

He also noted that the Benue State House of Assembly recently approved and released the election budget, facilitating preparations. The commission has acquired 21 vehicles and ordered both sensitive and non-sensitive materials, with some already delivered.

“The commission has awarded contracts for the production of these materials, and pending activities will commence from September 21 up until election day on October 5,” Tombowua said. He added that training for adhoc staff is set to begin on September 26.

The Benue State House of Assembly had earlier approved a budget of N6.64 billion for the election on September 4.