Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Monday officially swore in the newly elected local government chairmen, urging them to maintain the highest standards of governance.
This followed Saturday’s local government elections, where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won all 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship positions.
Despite claims by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the election was marred by irregularities, Governor Alia maintained that the election was fair and reflected the people’s will.
During the swearing-in ceremony, the governor tasked the new chairmen with providing strategic leadership, focusing on integrity, and upholding transparency. He urged them to collaborate with the state government to bring development to rural communities under the newly granted local government autonomy.
However, PDP Publicity Secretary, Tim Nyor, criticized the election, calling it a “charade” and demanding its cancellation, alleging widespread ballot manipulation.
