BREAKING: Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Alia Emerges Winner of Benue Guber Race

 

The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Benue state, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has been declared the winner of last Saturday’s governorship elections in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

 

The APC candidate defeated his closest rival, Mr. Titus Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who came a distant second, with a margin of 251,020 votes.

 

Declaring the result of the election, the State Returning Officer, Professor Farouk Kuta, said he was relying on the “provisions of section 24(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Electoral Guideline of INEC to the declare the result of the election” despite the pending election in Kwande LGA.

 

Prof. Kuta stated that the APC candidate polled a total of 473,933votes to defeat Mr. Uba of the PDP, who garnered a total of 223,913 votes

 

The candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Herman Hembe scored 41,881 votes to come third.

 

A breakdown of the result declared by the Electoral body showed that the APC won in 17 Local Government Areas, LGAs of the 23 LGAs of the state, PDP took four LGAs while LP took one LGA.

 

The declared result also indicates that the total valid votes in the election stood at 756,903, the total votes cast was 768,404 while the total Rejected votes in the election stood at 11,499.

 

Shortly after the announcement of the outcome of the poll supporters of the APC took to the streets of Makurdi to celebrate the victory of the Catholic Priest.

 

 

Meanwhile the electoral body has scheduled the State Assembly election in the two State Constituencies of Kwande LGA for Tuesday March 21.

 

The Commission explained that the shift became necessary after printing errors were discovered on the ballot papers and result sheets to be used in the election in the two Constituencies that make up the LGA.

 

A statement issued Monday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye said a decision on the new date was reached after consultations with stakeholders in the area.

 

The statement read, “the public may recall that the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State scheduled for Saturday 18th March 2023 had to be suspended.

 

“This decision followed an inadvertent mix-up of some of the sensitive materials for the two State Assembly constituencies in the area, that is Kwande East and Kwande West. For this reason, voters and stakeholders agreed that the elections should be rescheduled. Consequently, the Commission issued a statement that a new date will be announced for the elections.

 

“After further consultation with stakeholders, our Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu, has advised that the State office is ready to proceed with the rescheduled elections.

 

Accordingly, the Commission approved that the elections shall hold tomorrow Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

 

“The Commission appeals to voters in Kwande Local Government Area to troop out en masse and vote for the candidate of their choice. Similarly, we call on parties and candidates to conduct themselves peacefully.

 

Below is a breakdown of the results from the 22 LGAs as declared by the Collation Officers at the State Collation Centre in Makurdi.

 

Apa LGA:

Accre voters: 17,435

APC: 7,925

LP: 465

PDP: 7,806

 

 

VALID VOTES: 16,520

Rejected votes: 485

Total voted cast: 17,005

 

Tarka LGA:

Reg Voters: 55,464

Accre voters: 20,939

 

Votes by parties

APC: 16,422

LP: 175

PDP: 3,748

 

Valid votes: 20,632

Rejected Votes: 299

Votes cast: 20,931

 

3, Ukum LGA

 

Reg Voters: 142,119

Accre voters: 39,425

 

Votes by parties

APC: 28,503

LP: 439

PDP: 9,418

 

Valid votes: 38,640

Rejected Votes: 785

Votes cast: 39,425

 

4,  Obi LGA:

Reg Voters: 69,126

Accre voters: 17,759

 

Votes by parties

APC: 9,897

LP: 1185

PDP: 6,267

 

Valid votes: 17,519

Rejected Votes: 240

Votes cast: 17,759

 

5, Agatu LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 64,315

Accre voters: 18,407

 

Votes by parties

APC: 7,482

LP: 216

PDP: 9,934

 

 

Valid votes: 17,943

Rejected Votes: 464

Votes cast: 18,407

 

6, Gwer East LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 99,851

Accre voters: 34,111

 

Votes by parties

APC: 20,083

LP: 1,272

PDP: 12,085

 

Valid votes: 33,601

Rejected Votes: 283

Votes cast: 33,924

 

 

Ado LGA:

No Reg Voters: 83,199

Accre voters: 14,811

 

Votes by parties

APC: 8,662

LP: 308

PDP: 4,379

 

Valid votes: 14,355

Rejected Votes: 448

Votes cast: 14803

 

Logo:

Reg Voters: 114,100

Accre voters: 33,114

 

Votes by parties

APC: 15,574

LP: 296

PDP: 16,385

 

 

Valid votes: 32,582

Rejected Votes: 509

Votes cast: 33,091

 

9, Gwer West:

 

Reg Voters: 74,563

Accre voters: 26,333

 

Votes by parties

APC: 10,947

LP: 1,509

PDP: 13,609

 

Valid votes: 26,155

Rejected Votes: 175

Votes cast: 26,330

 

 

10, Katsina-Ala LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 168,318

Accre Voters: 42,189

 

Votes by parties:

 

APC: 34,347

LP:     176

PDP: 6,716

 

Valid votes: 41,669

Rejected:       520

Votes cast:    42, 189

 

 

11, Buruku LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 129,696

Accre voters: 46,418

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  34,713

LP:       1,155

PDP: 9,513

 

Valid votes cast: 45,937

Rejected votes:    470

Votes cast:             46,407

 

12,  Gboko LGA:

 

 

Reg Voters: 249,636

Accre voters: 77,230

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  53,985

LP:       1,493

PDP:    18,773

 

Valid votes cast: 75,316

Rejected votes:    1,261

Votes cast:             76,577

 

13,  Ohimini LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 46,713

Accre voters:  15,918

 

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  7,233

LP:       973

PDP:   6,785

 

Valid votes cast: 15,751

Rejected votes:    157

Votes cast:             15,908

 

14,  Guma LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 114,054

Accre voters:  38,889

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  15,371

LP:           535

PDP:   22,083

 

 

Valid votes cast: 38,239

Rejected votes:         505

Votes cast              38,744

 

15, Ushongo LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 111,769

Accre voters:  43,228

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  31,946

LP:            913

PDP:     8,879

 

Valid votes cast: 42,655

Rejected votes:    566

Votes cast               43,221

 

 

16,  Ogbadibo LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 72,231

Accre voters:  16,242

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  7,627

LP:         405

PDP:   6,032

 

Valid votes cast: 15,843

Rejected votes:         399

Votes cast:              16,242

 

17,  Oju LGA:

Reg Voters:    110,166

Accre voters: 28,576

 

 

Votes by parties:

APC:     17,245

LP:          1,611

PDP:      8,811

 

Valid votes cast: 28,142

Rejected votes:          433

Votes cast:             28,575

 

18, Makurdi LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 305,600

Accre voters:  76,027

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  56, 432

LP:        3,792

PDP:   12,329

 

 

Valid votes cast: 74,565

Rejected votes:    1,343

Votes cast:             75,908

 

19, Vandeikya LGA:

 

Reg Voters:   163,980

Accre voters:  62,105

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  46,786

LP:           129

PDP:   12,988

 

Valid votes cast: 61,492

Rejected votes:          605

Votes cast               62,097

 

 

20, Otukpo LGA:

 

Reg Voters:    149,987

Accre voters:    37,567

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  19,430

LP:        2,187

PDP:   12,834

 

Valid votes cast:  36,898

Rejected votes:          658

Votes cast               37,556

 

21, Konshisha LGA:

 

 

Reg Voters: 131461

Accre voters:  43779

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  13,997

LP:       21,606

PDP:     5,905

 

Valid votes cast: 43106

Rejected votes:    673

Votes cast:            43,779

 

22, Okpokwu LGA:

 

Reg Voters: 76,366

Accre voters:  19,544

 

 

Votes by parties:

APC:  9,326

LP:      1,039

PDP:   8,634

 

Valid votes cast: 19303

Rejected votes:    221

Votes cast: 19524