BREAKING: Catholic priest Hyacinth Alia wins Benue State governorship election

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hyacinth Alia, has won Benue State the gubernatorial election was held on Saturday, March 18.

Mr. Alia, a Roman Catholic priest, defeated his closest challenger, Titus Uba of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Mr. Uba is currently the Speaker of the Benue State Council.

Announcing the results of the governorship poll in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Monday, Faruk Kuta, the collective and state government officer, said Mr. Alia got 473,933 votes to defeat Mr. Uba who polled 223,913 votes.

Giving the breakdown of the votes, Mr. Kuta who is the vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, (FUT) Minna, said that the valid votes were 756,903, while the rejected votes were: 11,499. Total votes: 768,402.

Citing section 24(1) of the Electoral Act (2022) and the INEC Guidelines for elections, the State Electoral Officer declared Mr. Alia the winner of the 2023 Benue State governorship election.

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READ ALSO: The Supreme Court confirmed the nomination of Catholic Priest Alia as the governorship candidate of APC Benue

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The winning margin was 250,020 votes based on the number of votes collected from 22 of the 23 local government areas of Benue State.

The governorship and state parliamentary elections in Kwande Local Government Area have been changed to Tuesday, March 21, due to a printing error in the ballot papers discovered during Saturday’s election.

Kwande LGA has a total of 156,826 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), representing 91 percent of the 172,293 registered voters.

Therefore, with a lead margin of about 250,020 votes over the total number of PVCs collected in the affected area which was 156,826, Mr. Alia was declared the winner by the election referee.

On Sunday, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State, Sam Egwu, said the winner of the governorship poll could be declared if the margin of victory is greater than the number of voters who collected PVCs in Kwande LGA.

Messrs Alia and Uba hail from Vandeikya Local Government Area in Benue State.

The governorship candidate of the Labor Party (LP) in Benue, Herman Hembe, came third in the race with 41,881 votes.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the collection of Saturday’s gubernatorial election at the Benue Governorship Election State Collection Center in Makurdi, the state capital, on Sunday.

Summary of 2023 Benue Governorship Election Results From 22 LGAs.

1. Why, 11RAs

Voter Reg: 66,720.

Voters Acre: 17,435
APC: 7,925
LP: 465
PDP: 7,806

Correct votes: 6,520
Rejected votes: 485
Total votes: 17,005

2. Gwer West, 15 RAs

Voter Reg: 74,563
Number of Voters: 26,333

Votes by party
APC: 10,947
LP: 1,509
PDP: 13,609

Correct votes: 26,155
Votes Rejected: 175
Vote: 26,330

3. Logo, 10 RAs

Voter Reg: 114,100
Voter Accre: 33,114

Votes by party
APC: 15,574
LP: 296
PDP: 16,385

Correct votes: 32,582
Rejected Votes: 509
Vote: 33,091

4. Ado LGA, 10RAs

Voter Reg: 83,199
Voter Accre: 14,811

Votes by party
APC: 8,662
LP: 308
PDP: 4,379

Correct votes: 14,355
Votes Rejected: 448
Number of Votes: 14803

5. Gwer East LGA, 14 RAs

Voter Reg: 99,851
Number of Voters: 34,111

Votes by party
APC: 20,083
LP: 1,272
PDP: 12,085

Correct votes: 33,601
Votes Rejected: 283
Vote: 33,924

6. Agatu LGA, 10RAs

Voter Reg: 64,315
Voter Acres: 18,407

Votes by party
APC: 7,482
LP: 216
PDP: 9,934

Correct votes: 17,943
Rejected Votes: 464
Vote: 18,407

7. Obi LGA, 12 RAs

Voter Reg: 69,126
Voter Acre: 17,759

Votes by party
APC: 9,897
LP: 1185
PDP: 6,267

Correct votes: 17,519
Rejected Votes: 240
Vote: 17,759

8. Punishment, 13 RAs

Voter Reg: 142,119
Number of Voters: 39,425

Votes by party
APC: 28,503
LP: 439
PDP: 9,418

Correct votes: 38,640
Rejected Votes: 785
Vote: 39,425

9. Tarka LGA, 10RAs

Voter Reg: 55,464
Voter Acres: 20,939

Votes by party
APC: 16,422
LP: 175
PDP: 3,748

Correct votes: 20,632
Rejected Votes: 299
Vote: 20,931

10. Badu LGA, 13 RAs

Voter Reg: 129,696
ACCRE votes: 46,418

Votes by party

APC: 34,713
LP: 1,155
PDP: 9,513

Valid Votes: 45,937
Rejected Votes: 470
Vote: 46,407

11. Katsina-Ala LGA, 12 RAs

Voter Reg: 168,318
Acre Votes: 42,189

Votes by party

APC: 34,347
LP: 178
PDP: 6,716

Correct votes: 41,669
Rejected Votes: 520
Vote: 42,189

12. Gboko LGA, 17 RAs

Voter Reg: 249,636
Voter Acres: 77,230

Votes by party
APC: 53,985
LP: 1,493
PDP: 18,773

Correct votes: 75,316
Rejected votes: 1261
Vote: 76,577

13. Ohimini LGA, 10RAs

Voter Reg: 46,713
Voters Acre: 15,918

Votes by party

APC: 7,233
LP: 973
PDP: 6,785

Correct votes: 15,751
Votes Rejected: 157
Vote: 15,908

14. Guma LGA

Voter REG: 114,054
Number of voters: 38,889

Votes by party

APC: 15,371
LP: 535
PDP: 22,083

Correct votes: 38,239
Rejected Votes: 505
Vote: 38,744

15. Ushongo LGA, 11 RAs

Voter Squad: 11769
Voter Accre 43228

APC: 31946
LP: 913
PDP: 8879

Correct votes: 38,239
Rejected Votes: 505
Vote: 38,744

Correct votes: 42656
Rejected Votes: 566
Number of Votes: 43221

16. Ogbadibo LGA, 13 RAs

Voter Reg: 72,231
Voter Acres: 16,242

Votes by party
APC: 7,627
LP: 405
PDP: 6,032

Correct votes: 15,843
Rejected Votes: 399
Vote: 16,242

17. Eye LGA, 11 RAs

Voter Reg: 110,166
Number of Voters: 28,576

Votes by party
APC: 17,245
LP: 1,611
PDP: 8,811

Correct votes: 28,142
Votes Rejected: 433
Vote: 28,575

18. Makurdi LGA, 11 RAs

Reg voters: 305,600
Number of Voters: 76,026

Votes by party

APC: 56,432
LP: 3,792
PDP: 12,329

Rejected votes: 1,343.

19. Vandeikya

In Vandeikya, the governorship results are as follows:

Aliyah: 46,786

Uba: 12,988

Clothes: 129

20. Otukpo LGA, 13 RAs

Voter Reg: 149,987
Number of Voters: 37,567
Rejected Votes: 658

Votes by party

APC: 19,430
LP: 2,187
PDP: 12,834

21. Konshisha LGA, 11RAs

Voter Reg: 131,461
Voter Acres: 43,779
Rejected Votes: 673

Votes by party

APC: 13,997

LP: 21,606

PDP: 5,905

22. Okpokwu LGA, 12RAs

Voter Reg: 76,366
Number of Voters: 19,544
Rejected votes: 221

Votes by party

APC: 9,326
LP: 1,039
PDP: 8,634

Finally