A Catholic priest, Rev Fr Hyacinth Iornem Alia,has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election rerun in 12 Local Government Areas and three council wards in Benue State’s Buruku Local Government Area, North Central Nigeria.
Mr Joel Omajali, chairman of the rerun committee, announced the results on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at the APC State secretariat in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, saying a total of 366,546 voters were registered, 292,930 were accredited, a total of 270,353 votes were validly cast, and Fr Alia won with 195,314 votes.
The rerun was held in the local government areas of Ogbadibo, Ushongo, Konshisha, Oju, Kwande, Agatu, Ohimini, Ado, Obi, Okpokwu, and Apa.
Emma Maji, the Committee’s Secretary, called the repeat election “free, fair, and credible.”
On the 27th of May, 2022, the Benue APC held its governorship primary election, with Alia becoming victorious. However, other contenders, including Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Mike Andoakaa, Dr Mathias Byuan, Chief Stephen Lawani, and Prof. Terhemba Shija, sent a petition to the party’s National Working Committee, requesting that the election be called off, citing multiple electoral irregularities. As a result, the NWC ordered a repeat in 12 local governments, which took place on June 8th and 9th, 2022, with Alia retaining his overwhelming victory.
Shortly after the results were announced, the party’s State Deputy Chairman, Hon. Stephen Tsav, presided over a congress that affirmed the outcome of the rerun gubernatorial primary election on behalf of the party’s State Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada
The governorship primary in Benue State has been declared null and void by the All Progressives Congress.
The nullification was recommended in a report delivered to the APC headquarters in Abuja in order to save the party the misery of not fielding a candidate in the general elections in 2023.
