Benue protests after APC local‑government chairmen fail to release primary results

A protest broke out on Saturday in Okpoga, the headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area in Benue State, amid the APC House of Representatives primary for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency.

The disturbance was said to have been triggered by the alleged disappearance of the three local government party chairmen—one each from Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo—along with the election results.

Sources informed DAILY POST that tension began once it became clear that a specific aspirant was ahead in the race.

Eyewitnesses claimed that heavily armed men stormed the venue, dispersing party members and supporters and causing confusion at the collation centre.

The incident allegedly allowed suspected thugs to carry out extensive thumb‑printing in the Okpoga Roundabout area while security personnel were on duty.

Soon after, the three local government chairmen were said to have departed the venue carrying the election results from their respective LGAs.

At the time of this report, protests were still underway in Okpoga, and the chairmen’s whereabouts were unknown.

The incident follows earlier accusations from some APC stakeholders that political powerbrokers sought to impose a particular aspirant as the consensus candidate for the constituency.

Nonetheless, party leadership has insisted that all aspirants must gauge their popularity through the primary election process.