Follow Us on Google
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election.
Governor Alia secured an overwhelming 367,786 votes at the party’s primary election held on Thursday, defeating his rivals, Jeffery Kuranun and Terwase Orbunde, who polled 2,923 and 3,247 votes, respectively.
Announcing the result, the Chairman of the Benue APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Election Committee, Kabir Isah, described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and reflective of the popularity of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general election.
He declared Governor Alia returned as the governorship candidate of the APC, having scored the highest number of votes in the election.
Speaking shortly after his declaration, Governor Alia thanked APC members, stakeholders and the people of Benue State for the overwhelming love, trust and solidarity.
According to the governor, the endorsement represents a renewed mandate to deepen inclusive governance, strengthen security and accelerate development across the state.
“I remain most grateful to God Almighty Father for this hour, for his benevolence and for the graces he supplies to us, to me in particular, in the service of my state and in service to our people of Benue State.
Other News
He congratulated his contenders for competing with him, saying: “I thank them for doing this. This is very indicative to me that where there is this kind of competition and you happen to emerge, it tells you how much love is on you.
“It tells me how much my services to my people are most needed and desired and how much they want me even to do some more as I come back again.”
Alia thanked President Bola Tinubu, the APC National Chairman, and all members of his advisory team for their decision to adopt Option A4, the direct primary system, saying: “It settles a lot of anxieties. It puts to rest every other contention here because the people have spoken and their expression is that of the people.
“I am grateful for the honour you continue to give me so as to serve you some more. I accept your choice of me to come back again as your governor. When we were out there fixing the hospitals and our primary healthcare centres, building schools that had become comatose, I wasn’t aware you were watching and that you were using those facilities.
“When we went back to building the primary schools because they had become moribund and hired 9,700 new teachers specially trained, I wasn’t aware that you were watching from some corners of the state. When I realised that we had no road connectivity around the state and we chose to reconnect our local governments to the headquarters, I wasn’t fully aware that you were appreciative because you now had roads that could take you to your market squares, to the health centres and even to your very homes and farms.
“I want to assure you that I am here for you, I am with you, I am for the masses, and I will continue to serve the masses.”
He called for unity among party members, saying, “We’re all APC members, and we’re all working for the progress of the people of Benue State. I invite them to continue to join forces with me so that we would move the state forward from where we are today.”
