Appeal Court verdict on Mark: We’ll resist ploy to sabotage fresh poll, Idoma youths threaten

FROM FRED ITUA, ABUJA
Angered by what they described as a ploy by some el­
ements in Benue State to tamper with the outcome of the
proposed rerun election in Benue East Senatorial District,
some youths under the aegis of Idoma Youths Vanguard
have vowed to protect the mandate of a former Senate
President, David Mark who was recently sacked by a
Court of Appeal.
National president of the association, Mr. Mike Ogidi
Ocheibi in a statement made available to Saturday Sun in
Abuja yesterday, said they were particularly alarmed at the
Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi which voided the election
of Senator Mark.
“We do not intend to join issues with the respected
Appellate tribunal, but we are alarmed and indeed taken
aback by the verdict. It is strange to us that the appeal
panel tied its verdict on the difference in dates and ignored
the collated results.
“Interestingly, both the PDP and APC candidates and their
agents did not dispute the election results collated from
the various units duly signed. In fact , both agents signed
the results from the units to the senatorial collation
centers.
“Everybody turned in results but in the date by the INEC
returning officer, he wrote 28th ( the date of the Senatorial
election) rather than 29th, the collation date. When his
attention was drawn to it he said the election was
conducted on 28th and therefore sacrosanct,” he noted in
the statement.