Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election after recording a landslide victory at the party’s primary election in the state.
The results of the direct primary election announced on Thursday in Makurdi showed that Alia polled 367,786 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Jeffrey Kuranun and Terwase Orbunde, who secured 2,923 and 3,247 votes respectively.
Chairman of the Benue APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Election Committee, Kabir Isah, while announcing the result, described the exercise as peaceful and transparent.
He declared Governor Alia winner of the primary, having scored the highest number of votes cast during the exercise.
Speaking shortly after his victory, Alia expressed appreciation to APC members, stakeholders and residents of the state for what he described as overwhelming support, trust and solidarity.
The governor said the endorsement was a renewed mandate to consolidate inclusive governance, strengthen security and sustain infrastructural development across the state.
“I remain grateful to God Almighty for the grace and opportunity to serve the people of Benue State,” he said.
Alia also commended his co-contestants for participating in the exercise, noting that the competition indicated the confidence party members had in his administration and the desire for continuity.
The governor further lauded President Bola Tinubu, the APC national leadership and the party’s advisory team for adopting the direct primary option, saying the process gave party members the opportunity to freely choose their preferred candidates.
He added that his administration’s investments in healthcare, education, road infrastructure and recruitment of teachers contributed to the confidence reposed in him by party members.
He assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise the welfare of the masses and called on party members to remain united ahead of the general election.
“We are all APC members working for the progress of Benue State. I invite everyone to join hands with me so that together we can move the state forward,” he added.
