2023: Catholic priest, Alia, wins APC governorship ticket in Benue

Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia who was suspended by the Catholic Diocese over his 2023 governorship ambition has won the All Progressives Congress ticket for the 2023 general election.

He defeated eleven other aspirants to clinch the Benue State APC ticket in the primaries that was held across the State on Friday, May 27.

From the results that came into the APC State Secretariat in Makurdi on Saturday, Rev. Father Alia polled a total of 526,807 votes to defeat his closest rival, Dr. Mathias Byuan who polled 113,816 votes.

Former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Dr. Sam Ode who garnered 79,369 votes and came third while former Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Stephen Lawan polled 46,882 votes to come fourth.

Former Minister of Justice, Micheal Aondoakaa polled 24,596 votes, former Chief of Staff to Governor Samuel Ortom, Mr. Terwase Orbunde polled 12,446 votes and Prof. Terhemba Shija scored 10,487 votes.

Mr. Terlumun Ikya polled 3,680 votes while the member of the House Representatives for Konshisha/Vandeikya Federal Constituency, Mr. Herman Hembe garnered 2,473 votes.

Senator Barnabas Grenade was also defeated as he scored 2,365 votes, while Mr. Godwin Tyoapine polled 1,228 votes and Bernard Yisa garnered 742 votes.

However, an aspirant, Prof. Terhemba Shija has protested, saying that the the primary was a sham, hence, he rejected the outcome.

Part of the letter read, “The direct primaries of the APC held on Friday 27, 2022, was to say the least a sham and an aberration of democracy.

“We reject and disassociate ourselves from the results of the exercise.”

Senator Gemade who was the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now a Chieftain of APC also protested, saying that he was against the sudden adoption of
the Direct Primaries as mode of the election.

He said it was improper, ultra vires and unacceptable while another aspirant, Mr. Terlumun Ikya questioned the failure of the party to strictly observe all the rules governing the application of the Direct Primaries mode of conducting political party primaries.