By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue state has regained the State it lost under the incumbent Governor, Samuel Ortom as its candidate, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, declared winner of the of State Governorship Election.
According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, 20 March, 2023, Alia scored the highest votes to beat his closest rival, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Engr. Titus Uba, who is the incumbent speaker of Benue assembly. Alia led in the race with a margin of 251,020 votes.
Returning Officer for Governorship Election in Benue, Prof. Adamu Farouk Kuta, who is Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced that Alia polled a total of 473,933 to lead Uba who had 223,913 while Labour Party’s Heman Hembe trailed with 41,881 votes.
It was gathered that results collated from all the 23 LGAs of the state indicated that the APC’s Alia won majority of the votes in 17 LGAs, while his counterpart in the ruling PDP in the state, Uba won in four LGAs, just as the LP candidate won one local government area and other parties did not win in any of the LGAs of the state.
The results from 22 out of the 23 LGAs in the state were announced, leaving out Kwande LGA where elections did not hold as a result of printing error discovered on the ballot sheets.
Earlier, Prof. Adamu Farouk Kuta, the state returning officer explained that the setback could not affect the declaration of the entire results of the election as the margin of the winning party far exceeded the registered voters in Kwande LGA.
“We are relying on Electoral act, Section 24 sub 1 and Electoral guideline of INEC,” Kuta said as he declared Alia of the APC winner at exactly 5:47pm on Monday.
The final scores announced:
APC: 473,933
LP: 41,881
NNPP:1,187
PDP:223,913
Total valid votes:756,903
Rejected votes: 11,499
Total votes cast:768,402
Below are the scores by LGAs in the election:
1. Apa LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof. Roberts
Total registered voters – 66,720
Accredited voters – 17,435
APC – 7,925
LP – 465
PDP – 7806
NNPP – 12
Total valid votes – 16,520
Rejected votes – 485
Total votes cast – 17,005
2. Gwer West LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr.
Total registered voters – 74,563
Accredited voters – 26,333
APC – 10,947
LP – 1,509
NNPP – 8
PDP – 13, 609
Total valid votes – 26,155
Rejected votes – 175
Total votes cast – 26,330
3. Logo LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr Mnena Yaji
Total registered voters – 114,100
Accredited voters – 33,114
APC – 15,574
LP – 296
NNPP – 11
PDP – 16,385
Total valid votes – 32,582
Rejected votes – 509
Total votes cast – 33,091
4. Ado LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof Oche
Total registered voters – 83,199
Accredited voters – 14, 811
APC – 8,662
LP – 308
NNPP- 58
PDP – ,4,379
Total valid votes – 14,355
Rejected votes – 448
Total votes cast – 14,803
5. Gwer East LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof.
Total registered voters – 99,851
Accredited voters – 34,111
APC – 20,083
LP – 1,272
NNPP -12
PDP – 12,085
Total valid votes – 33,601
Rejected votes – 283
Total votes cast – 33,924
6. Agatu LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof.
Total registered voters – 64,315
Accredited voters – 18,407
APC – 7,482
LP – 216
NNPP -11
PDP – 9,934
Total valid votes – 17,943
Rejected votes – 464
Total votes cast – 18,407
7. Obi LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof
Total registered voters – 69,126
Accredited voters – 17,759
APC – 9,897
LP – 1,185
NNPP -39
PDP – 6,267
Total valid votes – 17,519
Rejected votes – 240
Total votes cast – 17,759
8. Ukum LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof.
Total registered voters – 142,119
Accredited voters – 39,425
APC – 28,503
LP – 439
NNPP -4
PDP – 9,418
Total valid votes – 38,640
Rejected votes – 785
Total votes cast – 39,425
9. Tarka LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof
Total registered voters – 55,464
Accredited voters – 20, 939
APC – 16,422
LP – 175
NNPP – 7
PDP – 3,748
Total valid votes – 20,632
Rejected votes – 299
Total votes cast – 20,931
10. Buruku LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof.
Total registered voters – 129, 696
Accredited voters – 46,418
APC – 34,713
LP – 1155
NNPP -69
PDP – 9,513
Total valid votes – 45,937
Rejected votes – 470
Total votes cast – 46,407
11. Kastina-Ala LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof. Jonathan
Total registered voters – 168,318
Accredited voters – 42,189
APC – 34,347
LP – 178
NNPP -8
PDP – 6716
Total valid votes – 41,669
Rejected votes – 520
Total votes cast – 42,189
12. Gboko LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr. Tersar Ichor
Total registered voters – 249,636
Accredited voters – 77,230
APC – 53,985
LP – 1493
NNPP – 165
PDP – 18,773
Total valid votes – 75,316
Rejected votes – 1261
Total votes cast – 76,577
13. Ohimini LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr Maneseh
Total registered voters – 46,713
Accredited voters – 15,918
APC – 7,233
LP – 973
NNPP -5
PDP – 6,785
Total valid votes – 15,751
Rejected votes – 157
Total votes cast – 15,908
14. Guma LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr
Total registered voters – 114,054
Accredited voters – 38,889
APC – 15,371
LP – 535
NNPP -41
PDP – 22,083
Total valid votes – 38,239
Rejected votes – 505
Total votes cast – 38,744
15. Ushongo LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr Terfa
Total registered voters – 117,769
Accredited voters – 43,228
APC – 31,946
LP – 913
NNPP -61
PDP – 8,879
Total valid votes – 42,655
Rejected votes – 566
Total votes cast – 43,221
16. Ogbadigbo LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof Fumilayo
Total registered voters – 72,231
Accredited voters – 17,242
APC – 7,627
LP – 405
NNPP -30
PDP – 6,032
Total valid votes – 15,846
Rejected votes – 399
Total votes cast – 16,242
17. Oju LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr Patrick
Total registered voters – 110,166
Accredited voters – 28,576
APC – 17,245
LP – 1611
NNPP -49
PDP – 8,811
Total valid votes – 28,142
Rejected votes – 433
Total votes cast – 28,575
18. Makurdi LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof Gabriel
Total registered voters – 305,600
Accredited voters – 76,026
APC – 56,432
LP – 3792
NNPP -316
PDP – 12,329
Total valid votes – 74,565
Rejected votes – 1,343
Total votes cast – 75,908
19. Vandekiya LGA:
Coalition officer: Prof Terlumun
Total registered voters – 163,980
Accredited voters – 62,105
APC – 46,786
LP – 129
NNPP -23
PDP – 12,988
Total valid votes – 61,492
Rejected votes – 605
Total votes cast – 62,097
20. Otukpo LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr Eke
Total registered voters – 149,987
Accredited voters – 37,567
APC – 19,430
LP – 2,187
NNPP -147
PDP – 12,834
Total valid votes – 36,898
Rejected votes – 658
Total votes cast – 37, 556
21. Konshisha LGA:
Coalition officer:
Total registered voters – 131,461
Accredited voters – 43,779
APC – 13,997
LP – 21,606
NNPP -140
PDP – 5,905
Total valid votes – 43,106
Rejected votes – 673
Total votes cast – 43,779
22.. Okpokwu LGA:
Coalition officer: Dr. Benjamin
Total registered voters – 76,366
Accredited voters – 19,544
APC – 9,326
LP – 1039
NNPP -21
PDP – 8,634
Total valid votes – 19,303
Rejected votes – 221
Total votes cast – 19,524.
