FORMER Benue State governor, Senator George Akume, has blamed defeat of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the 2011 gubernatorial election in Benue State on what he terms, 'Nigerian factor'.
Speaking at the just concluded Senate Public Hearing on review of the 1999 Constitution in Makurdi, Akume said: "ACN is a very strong party in this state. You recall its performance in the last general elections. We believe, strongly and rightly, that we won that election but Nigerian factors robbed the ACN of major victories.
"But don't forget that in the state House of Assembly, if some of the cases have gone through the court, we would have been controlling. But again, the Nigerian factor... So, we are 10. That is a strong showing. The party has a senator at the National Assembly and three members in the House of Representatives. This is not something you take for granted."
Speaking on the party's preparation towards the local government elections scheduled for November 24, Akume said that given massive support from the people of Benue State, the party would achieve tremendous victory.
He, however, lamented spate of violence against ACN members. He said that the party is fully prepared and would continue to campaign, in spite of massive provocations.
He said: "We have been attacked by some of these gun-totting youths, our vehicles have been broken and people have also been arrested in a most unserious manner for doing nothing. We were attacked, a few days ago, in Makurdi. We reported the case to the Police but they ended up arresting our own people.
The Senator called on security forces to wake up to their responsibility of protecting life and property, irrespective of party or religious affiliations.
"We want peace; we want free and fair elections. That is the true test of a democracy. It is not a question of ballot box snatching, it is not a question of thumb printing massively or diverting electoral materials," he said.
Democracy is a matter of everybody's vote."
On whether the party has confidence in the State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akume said that with the call for devolution of powers, INEC is expected to enrich democracy at the state level. He said that while some members of the Commission dance with the ruling party in the state, there are few, whose credibility is not in question, and the party is relying on the few to deliver credible and acceptable elections."
