The All Progressives Congress held its National Assembly primaries in Benue State on Wednesday, but the exercise descended into chaos when election officials arrived hours behind schedule and delegates accused organisers of hijacking voting materials.
The primary was supposed to start early in the morning at various centres across the state. Instead, officials did not show up until afternoon, leaving hundreds of delegates waiting in the heat and fueling suspicion that the delay was deliberate.
When the materials finally arrived, party members raised the alarm that ballot papers and other critical documents had been tampered with or replaced. Delegates from different local government areas complained that the numbers did not match what they were expecting, and that some voting materials bore names of candidates who had not even contested in their constituencies.
Party officials struggled to explain the discrepancies. The delays meant that voting could not finish on Wednesday, forcing the exercise to be postponed to another date. This left the primary process in disarray, with no clear timeline for when delegates would actually cast their ballots.
The primary is supposed to determine who the APC will field for Senate and House of Representatives seats in the March 2025 general election. Benue State has three Senate zones and multiple House seats up for grabs, making the primary crucial for candidates eyeing these positions.
Local APC chieftains condemned what they called a lack of transparency. Some delegates threatened to write to the national secretariat to demand a fresh primary under better supervision. The party's state leadership did not immediately respond to requests for comment on what caused the delays or the alleged tampering with materials.
The APC has promised to reschedule the Benue primary within the next two weeks and ensure that proper procedures are followed. Party officials said they would investigate the allegations of material hijacking before the exercise resumes.
