‘No Election Until Killings Stop’ — Benue Youths Shut Down APC Primary With Coffin

Angry youths in Benue South threw APC primary elections into disarray on Saturday after storming a major highway in Apa Local Government Area with a coffin and placards, vowing to halt all political activities until the government addresses the wave of killings ravaging Idoma-speaking communities.

The demonstrators barricaded the highway, effectively disrupting movement and bringing the All Progressives Congress primary exercise in the area to a standstill. Chanting “No election,” the protesters made clear that no party activity would be tolerated while blood continued to be shed in their communities.

According to the youths, residents of Apa Local Government Area have been living under a climate of persistent fear, with communities repeatedly coming under attack from suspected armed herdsmen and criminal elements. They argued that political leaders have a moral obligation to secure lives and property before turning their attention to party primaries and electoral processes.

“The youths of Apa are saying no to any primary election until the insecurity situation in our land is addressed,” one of the demonstrators declared.

The use of a coffin as a protest symbol was widely seen as a stark representation of the lives already lost to the ongoing violence, and a warning to political actors that governance must translate into tangible security before elections can hold meaningful value for the people.