From TERESE TUHWA, Makurdi.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday declared Reverend Father Hyacinth Iormem Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the just concluded Saturday 18th March, 2023 gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections in Benue state.
Father Alia Polled a total of 473,973 votes to defeat his closest rival, Rt. Hon. Titus Tyoapine Uba who scored a total of 223,915 votes to come second position.
The winner of the keenly contested governorship polls was announced after results from 22 Local Government areas out of 23 were collated.
Professor Farouq Kutah who was the returning officer for the election made the declaration at the state INEC collation centre Makurdi Monday.
Prof Kutah who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal university of technology Mina Niger state while announcing the result said; “This formal declaration is hinged on the fact that we rely on the Electoral Act section 24 subsection 1 and the Electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
“That Hyacinth Alia of APC having satisfied all the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected this day, 20th of March, 2023”.
Meanwhile, the governor elect, Reverend Father Hyacinth Iormem Alia in his acceptance speech at his Makurdi private residence promised that he will build an economy of the future based on skills and talents, education and the application of technology knowing what the forces of global competition and technology mean that the state can only complete based on skills and talents.
The visibly joyous Catholic cleric said he will clear the backlog of arrears of salaries, pension and gratuities, resettle the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes, address persistent insecurity challenges as well as set the stage for a prosperous Benue.
According to him, his victory was a defeat to politics of backwardness, hate and division in preference for a social contract that enhances a common brotherhood and add value to lives.
He said the “people through his victory have risen from the ashes of deprivation and depression and are marching in lockstep towards their rightful place in the hall of greatness”.
INEC DECLARES APC’s FATHER ALIA WINNER OF BENUE GOVERNORSHIP POLLS
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