Dr. John Chen, the ousted chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, expressed on Friday that his commitment to conducting fair elections led to his removal.
The ruling All Progressive Congress in Benue State has been split into two factions, with one led by Austin Agada, recognized nationally, and the other by Governor Alia with Benjamin Omakolo serving as acting chairman.
Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia of Benue State had previously sanctioned the removal of SIEC chairman, Dr. John Chen.
Following accusations of poor judgment by its members, the state House of Assembly recommended the dismissal of the SIEC chairman on Wednesday.
According to a statement released by Chief Press Secretary Kula Tersoo and shared with journalists in Makurdi on Friday, the governor had accepted the resolution.
In an interview with NewsNow on Friday, Chen explained that due to internal conflicts within the Benue State APC, he sought clarity from the party’s national secretariat to determine the authentic state chairman.
The ousted SIEC boss cited constitutional provisions that prohibit the electoral body from engaging with a political party faction.
Chen supported his stance with a letter he sent to the national chairman of APC on July 29, 2024, titled ‘Request for submission of the list of executive members of APC in Benue State’.
He stated, “I wanted to establish contact with the rightful APC chairman as we were gearing up for local government elections, following constitutional protocols to avoid getting embroiled in party politics.”
When questioned about his feelings regarding his dismissal, Chen replied, “I have no hard feelings as my integrity remains intact. It is more important to me to preserve my integrity than to be involved in their internal disputes.”