From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has secured the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest for a second term in office.
At the governorship primary election held on Thursday, Governor Alia defeated two other aspirants, Jeffrey Kuraun and Terwase Orbunde, to clinch the party’s ticket.
Declaring the results at the party secretariat in Makurdi, the Chairman of the Governorship and State Assembly Primary Election Committee, Prof. Kabiru Isah, said Governor Alia polled 367,786 votes to defeat his rivals, Terwase Orbunde and Jeffrey Kuraun, who scored 3,247 and 2,923 votes respectively.
Prof. Isah described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and reflective of the popularity of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general election.
He subsequently declared Governor Alia as the APC governorship candidate, having secured 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 their overwhelming support, 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 for this moment, for His benevolence and for the grace He continues to grant us, especially me, in the service of Benue State and its people,” he said.
Governor Alia also congratulated his fellow contenders for participating in the contest.
“I thank them for taking part in this process. This kind of healthy competition and my eventual emergence show the level of love and confidence the people have in me. It tells me that my services are appreciated and that the people want me to do even more when I return,” he added.
The governor further expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC National Chairman and the party leadership for adopting the direct primary mode.
According to him, “It settles a lot of anxieties and puts every contention to rest because the people have spoken loudly.
“I am grateful for the honour you continue to give me to serve you better. I accept your choice for me to return as your governor.
“When we embarked on fixing hospitals and revitalising primary healthcare centres, I did not know you were watching. When we rebuilt primary schools that had become moribund and employed 9,700 specially trained teachers, I did not know you were observing from different parts of the state.
“When we realised there was poor road connectivity across the state and decided to reconnect local governments to their headquarters, I did not fully realise how appreciative the people were because those roads now lead to markets, health centres, homes and farms.”
He assured the people of his continued commitment to good governance and service delivery.
“I want to assure you that I am here for you, I am with you, and I am for the masses. I will continue to serve the masses,” he stated.
Governor Alia also called for unity among party members.
“We are all APC members working for the progress of Benue State. I invite everyone to continue joining forces with me so that together we can move the state forward from where we are today,” he said.
