Catholic Priest, Fr Hyacinth Alia, emerges Benue Gov-Elect

The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, is the winner of the March 18 poll, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The cleric won 473,933 votes way ahead his closest rival and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Titus Uba, who polled 223,913.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Faruq Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, declared Alia the winner, who takes over from Governor Samuel Ortom of the PDP G-5 Governors.

So far, the results of 20 states governorship polls have been announced.

The APC takes the lead with 14 states, the PDP with five states and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with one state.

Nine of the 11 governors who sought reelection in the March 18 polls held across Nigeria in West Africa have been declared winners by INEC to return to office for another four-year term each.

They are Babagana Zulum (Borno), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) S and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).

Of the 28 states, 11 serving governors sought reelection while 17 outgoing governors will serve out their constitutional two-term limits of eight years on May 29, 2023.