Mrs. Comfort Angula, a retired local government worker, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), in Benue.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Angula picked the ticket through a voice vote at the party’s state congress in Makurdi.

Mr Paul Ola, NRM chairman in Benue, while declaring Angula winner of the governorship primaries, said that a total of 175 delegates participated in the exercise.

“The party delegates, through a voice vote, affirmed Angula as our candidate and she is hereby returned,” he said.

Ola said that NRM was determined to rescue Benue workers from the “inept administration” of Gov Samuel Ortom, promising that the prompt payment of salaries would be a priority if Angula was elected.

“NRM’s administration will also pay special attention to the economy and insecurity,” he said.

In her speech, Angula decried the non-payment of salaries by the Gov. Samuel Ortom administration “in spite of huge allocations and several Federal Government intervention funds”.

“I am in this governorship race to represent the civil servants, pensioners, women and youths who have suffered so much under the Ortom-led administration.

“I am speaking out of experience. When I was a Director of Personnel and Administration, I was declared a ghost worker by the state government and was not paid for 14 months.

“I was due for retirement in May 2018, but was sacked in January.

“Benue workers have suffered so much under Ortom governorship. They are maltreated by the same government that they are working for,” she lamented.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security operatives were on ground to monitor the primaries.