The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday declared Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia the winner of the re-run governorship primary election in Benue state.
The election followed the directive of the Appeal Court, Makurdi Division, in a suit filed by Terhemba Shija that the APC should conduct fresh elections in 137 wards of the 11 local government areas.
Declaring the result, the chairman of the Benue State Committee of the Rescheduled Governorship Primary Elections, Senator Basheer Lado, said Fr. Alia polled a total of 21, 9002 votes to beat his closest rival, Matthias Byuan, who got 4, 797 in the re-run.
He said merging the earlier result with the current rerun election result, Rev. Fr. Alia got a total of 410, 682 votes to beat the other candidates.
Senator Lado said further that the total number of registered voters of the party in the election in the 23 LGAs of the state was 868,010.
Giving a breakdown of votes garnered by each of the aspirants in the 23 LGAs, the Committee chairman said Ibuan polled 14,593 votes; Arc. Bernard Yisa, 581 votes; Senator Barnabas Gemade, 5,125 votes; Terlumun Ikya, 2,851 votes and Barrister Sam Ode polled 22,319 votes.
Others are Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN), 3,815 votes; Godwin Tyoachimin, 1,139.votes; Steven Lawani, 21,172 votes; Prof. Terhemba Shija, 2,217 votes; Mlanga, 219 votes; Terwase Orbunde, 1,391 votes, while Herman
Hembe polled 638 votes.
Senator Lado, therefore, said, “With this document before me, I hereby declare Rev Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia having scored a total number of Votes (410,682 votes), as the winner of this election.”
Shortly after the declaration of the results, the state chapter of the party held a Special Congress which affirmed the candidacy of Fr. Alia as duly elected to fly the party’s flag in next month’s election.
The state chairman of the party, Austin Agada, while addressing the Congress, said the APC had come out as a party that was united to deliver Benue from untold hardships.
He said the election of Alia by members “is an indication that God has spoken and because he has been chosen to lead the people, APC is bound to be victorious come the Election Day.”
Meanwhile Chairman of the Appeal Panel, Umar Kolo, has said the Panel did not receive any petition from any of the aspirants.
He said the Panel would put down its report and submit it, “but if there is any new development, we will definitely notify members of the public.”
