Catholic priest Hyacinth Alia wins Benue State governorship election

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hyacinth Alia, has won Benue State Government elections on March 18, Saturday.

Mr. Alia, a Roman Catholic priest, defeated his closest opponent, Titus Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr. Uba is the current Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly.

Announcing the results of the gubernatorial poll in Makurdi, the Benue State capital on Monday, Faruk Kuta, the state collecting and returning officer, said Mr. Alia got 473,933 votes while Mr. Uba got 223,913 votes.

Giving the distribution of the votes, Mr. Kuta, who is the vice-chancellor of the Minna Federal University of Technology, said that the valid votes were 756,903, and the rejected votes: 11,499. Total votes cast: 768,402.

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

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

The gubernatorial and state legislative elections in Kwande Local Government Area have been postponed to Tuesday, March 21 due to printing errors in the ballot papers discovered during Saturday’s election.

Kwande LGA has 156,826 permanent voter cards (PVCs), 91 percent of the 172,293 registered voters.

Therefore, with a margin of 250,020 votes over the number of PVCs collected in the affected areas, which is 156,826, Mr. Alia was declared the winner by the electoral judge.

On Sunday, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Sam Egwu, said the winner of the governorship poll could be declared if the winning margin is greater than the number of registered voters who collected their PVCs in Kwande LGA.

Messrs. Alia and Uba are from Vandeikya Local Government Area of ​​Benue State.

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

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

Summary of 2023 Benue Government Election Results from 22 LGAs.

1. What, 11RAs

Registered voters: 66,720.

Accre voters: 17,435
APC: 7,925
LP: 465
PDP: 7,806

VOTE VALUE: 6,520
Discarded votes: 485
Total votes: 17,005

2. Gwer West, 15 RA

Registered voters: 74,563
Number of voters: 26,333

Party votes
APC: 10,947
LP: 1,509
PDP: 13,609

Valid votes: 26,155
Rejected votes: 175
Votes cast: 26,330

3. Logo, 10RA

Registered voters: 114,100
Accre voters: 33,114

Party votes
APC: 15,574
LP: 296
PDP: 16,385

Valid votes: 32,582
Discarded votes: 509
Votes cast: 33,091

4. Ado LGA, 10RAs

Registered voters: 83,199
Accre voters: 14,811

Party votes
APC: 8,662
LP: 308
PDP: 4,379

Valid votes: 14,355
Discarded votes: 448
Votes: 14803

5. Gwer East LGA, 14 RA

Registered voters: 99,851
Number of voters: 34,111

Party votes
APC: 20,083
LP: 1,272
PDP: 12,085

Valid votes: 33,601
Discarded votes: 283
Votes cast: 33,924

6. Agatu LGA, 10RAs

Registered voters: 64,315
Accre voters: 18,407

Party votes
APC: 7,482
LP: 216
PDP: 9,934

Valid votes: 17,943
Discarded votes: 464
Votes cast: 18,407

7. Obi LGA, 12 RA

Registered voters: 69,126
Accre voters: 17,759

Party votes
APC: 9,897
LP: 1185
PDP: 6,267

Valid votes: 17,519
Discarded votes: 240
Votes cast: 17,759

8. Ukum, 13 RA

Registered voters: 142,119
Number of voters: 39,425

Party votes
APC: 28,503
LP: 439
PDP: 9,418

Valid votes: 38,640
Discarded votes: 785
Votes cast: 39,425

9. Tarka LGA, 10RAs

Registered voters: 55,464
Accre voters: 20,939

Party votes
APC: 16,422
LP: 175
PDP: 3,748

Valid votes: 20,632
Discarded votes: 299
Votes cast: 20,931

10. Has LGA, 13 RA

Registered voters: 129,696
ACCRE Votes: 46,418

Party votes

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

Valid Votes: 45,937
Discarded votes: 470
Votes cast: 46,407

11. Katsina-Ala LGA, 12 RA

Registered voters: 168,318
Accre votes: 42,189

Party votes

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

Valid Votes: 41,669
Discarded votes: 520
Votes cast: 42,189

12. Gboko LGA, 17 RA

Registered voters: 249,636
Number of voters: 77,230

Party votes
APC: 53,985
LP: 1,493
PDP: 18,773

Valid votes: 75,316
No votes: 1261
Votes cast: 76,577

13. Ohimini LGA, 10RA

Registered voters: 46,713
Accre voters: 15,918

Party votes

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

Valid votes: 15,751
Rejected votes: 157
Votes cast: 15,908

14. Guma LGA

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

Party votes

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

Valid votes: 38,239
Discarded votes: 505
Votes cast: 38,744

15. Ushongo LGA, 11 RA

Registered voters: 11769
Accre voters 43228

APC: 31946
LP: 913
PDP: 8879

Valid votes: 38,239
Discarded votes: 505
Votes cast: 38,744

Valid votes: 42656
Discarded votes: 566
Votes: 43221

16. Ogbadibo LGA, 13 RA

Registered voters: 72,231
Accre voters: 16,242

Party votes
APC: 7,627
LP: 405
PDP: 6,032

Valid votes: 15,843
Discarded votes: 399
Votes cast: 16,242

17. Begi LGA, 11 RA

Registered voters: 110,166
Number of voters: 28,576

Party votes
APC: 17,245
LP: 1,611
PDP: 8,811

Valid votes: 28,142
Discarded votes: 433
Votes cast: 28,575

18. Makurdi LGA, 11 RA

Registered voters: 305,600
Number of voters: 76,026

Party votes

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

Rejected votes: 1,343.

19. Vandeikya

In Vandeikyan, the governor’s result is:

Alia: 46,786

Grapes: 12,988

Clothes: 129

20. Otukpo LGA, 13 RA

Registered voters: 149,987
Number of voters: 37,567
Discarded votes: 658

Party votes

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

21. Konshisha LGA, 11RAs

Registered voters: 131,461
Accre voters: 43,779
Discarded votes: 673

Party votes

APC: 13,997

LP: 21,606

PDP: 5, 905

22. Okpokwu LGA, 12RA

Registered voters: 76,366
Number of voters: 19,544
No votes: 221

Party votes

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

the end