The African Action Congress (AAC) has called for the immediate withdrawal of what it described as arbitrary charges imposed on candidates participating in the upcoming Local Government Area (LGA) elections in Benue State, scheduled for October 5, 2024.
According to the AAC, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has demanded that chairmanship candidates pay N500,000 and councillorship candidates pay N250,000.
In addition to these fees, BSIEC is also reportedly requiring handling charges of N115,000 and N90,000 for chairmanship and councillorship candidates, respectively.
In a statement issued by the AAC Chairman, Rex I. Elanu, the party urged Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to intervene and ensure the immediate revocation of these charges.
Elanu described the fees as unruly extortion and an attempt to undermine fairness and equity in the democratic process.
