Wilson Adekumola
Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has been announced winner by the Rescheduled Election Committee for the Benue State governorship primary of the All Progressive Congress, APC, 2023 re-run election conducted in 11 local government areas of the State.
The committee chairman, Senator Basheer Lado, declared Fr. Alia as the overall winner of the APC governorship primary election held across the 23 local government areas of the State, having scored a total number of 410,682 votes to beat 12 other aspirants in the race.
While announcing the results after the rerun that was held in 11 LGAs of the State, Senator Lado disclosed that Rev. Fr. Alia scored a total number of 219,002 votes to defeat other aspirants.
Enumerating the breakdown of the scores for each contestant in the re-run primary election, Sen. Lado said Arc. Benard Yisa scored a total votes of 136; Sam Ode got 255 votes; Dr.Mattias Ibuan recorded 4,797 votes; Micheal Aondoakaa scored 606 votes; Senator Barnabas Gemade received 450 votes; Herman Hembe scored 688 votes; Terwase Orbunde got two votes; Chief Stephen Lawani won 120 votes; Ayom Mlanga received 766 votes, and Prof. Terhemba Shija scored 219 votes.
He said that the total number of registered voters for the 23 local government areas of the State stands at 868,010 with Matthias Ibyuan scoring a total number of 14,593 votes; Arc. Benard Yisa – 581; Sen. Barnabas Gemade – 5,125; Dr Terrumun Ikya – 2,851; Revd. Fr Alia scored 410,682 votes; Micheal Aondoakaa – 3,815 votes; Godwin Tyoachimin – 1139 votes; Chief Stephen Lawani – 21,172; Prof. Terhemba Shija – 2,217 votes; Ayom Mlanga – 219; Sam Ode – 22,319 votes; Terwase Orbunde – 1391 votes, and Herman Hembe scored a total number of 638 votes.
He said, “I hereby declare Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia who scored a total number of 410,682 votes, and having scored the highest number of votes, as the winner of the election.”
It was gathered that after the announcement of the result, a special congress was held to approve the candidacy of Fr. Alia by the State’s APC chairman, Comrade Austin Agada.
While calling for unity among APC members to support the party’s governorship candidate for victory, Agada said, “the voice of God has been replicated in this rerun and you have chosen who you want to lead you and victory must be ours in 2023.”