Group asks legislative assembly to impeach Benue LGA chair over electoral violence

Concerned Ado Citizens (CAC), a socio-cultural group, has asked the legislative council to commence the impeachment process of James Oche, the Ado LGA chairman, over alleged gross abuse of office and electoral malpractice.

In a statement issued by Peter Onazi, CAC chairman, the group said Oche, who was the Atiku campaign director-general for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency, Benue state, was allegedly arrested by the Nigerian army alongside some thugs over election malpractice and violence during Saturday polls. 

The group described Oche’s action as shameful and undemocratic.

“Oche reportedly led an army of thugs to snatch ballot papers and destroyed election materials, including BVAS in Apa Agila Ward, Ado LGA before luck ran out of them and they were arrested and detained by the military,” the statement reads.

“It took the intervention of a powerful politician from the federal constituency before the council boss was granted administrative bail the next day, but 3 others who were in possession of firearms during the operation are still under detention.

“James Oche has continued to drag the name of the Land of the Sage to the mud with his thuggish exuberance. We have been watching closely his tyrannical regime in Ado that has reduced our homeland into a lawless enclave

“But his shameful conduct at the Saturday’s poll, where he led a gang of political thugs to snatch ballot boxes and set electoral materials ablaze, surely broke the camel’s back. How can a sitting Chairman who is supposed to be the Chief Security Officer of the council be the one perpetrating criminal acts?

“Enough is enough! We are calling on the Ado Legislative Council to impeach James Oche and save Adolites from the unending embarrassments the Chairman is bringing to the local government. We are giving the councillors seven days to impeach Oche or have thousands of Ado people to contend with.

 “We also call on the Inspector General of Police to rearrest James Oche within 48 hours, to face justice for his crimes of human rights abuses, embezzlement, money laundry, thuggery, and electoral malpractice.”