Benue APC Guber Rerun: Fr. Alia again floors co – contestants

By Titus Atondu, Makurdi

Following the conduct of the Benue State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship rerun primary election across 11 local government areas and 137 council wards of the State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has again defeated his co – aspirants overwhelmingly with a total winning vote cast of 219, 002.

Senator Basheer Lado, the chairman, APC Benue State Rerun Election Committee, declared Fr. Alia the winner of the rerun election conducted in the 11 local government areas having scored the highest votes cast.

Shortly after the declaration, the chairman of APC Benue State Chapter, Comrade Austin Agada, in a special congress to ratify the winner of the rerun, said the rerun election results of the 11 local government areas was the true reflection of Benue people’s mandate and sued for collective support for the guber candidate of the party for a victorious governorship polls.

Nigerian NewsDirect reports that the aspirants score the following votes;

Benard Yisa scored 36 votes, Samuel Ode pulled 255 votes, Mathias Byuan 4,791votes, Michael Kaase 606 votes, Barnabas Gemade 450 votes, Iorwase Hembe 688, Terwase Orbunde 2 votes, Steve Lawani 120 votes, Ayom Mlanga 766 votes, Prof. Terhemba Shija 219 votes, Terlumun Ikya 281 votes, while Godwin Tyoachimin pulled 454 votes.

It would be recalled that the Benue State chapter of the APC conducted it’s gubernatorial primary election last year to feature a candidate for the 2023 governorship election through the direct method that produced Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia as the candidate.

Other aspirants felt aggrieved and proceeded to seek justice in the court of law, the result of which is the rerun election as ordered by the appeal court in favour of Professor Terhemba Shija.