David Mark floors APC candidate in Benue rerun poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Senator David Mark winner of the Benue-South Senatorial re-run election.

David Mark casting his vote at the just concluded Benue-South Senatorial rerun poll on Saturday

Senator Mark gathered a total of 84,192 votes, to beat Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 71,621 votes.

The returning Officer of the electoral body, Mr Ishaq Eneji, while declaring the result, said that Senator Mark met all the requirements during the conduct of the poll, having majority of the total vote cast.

However, the APC agent contested the validity of the result declared.

Responding to the victory and call for supplementary election in the cancelled polling units, Senator Mark said that his election reflected the will of the people.

The declaration of the re-run election in favour of Senator Mark brings to a close the intense political fireworks prior to the election with both parties trading accusations on plot to manipulate the polls one way or the other.

The re-run election followed a Court of Appeal’s judgment which nullified the election of Senator Mark as the Senator representing the zone in an earlier election held on March 28, 2015.

Senator Mark was the Senate President in the seventh Assembly.