June 28, (THEWILL) – The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue state, Comrade Austin Agada, has reaffirmed the candidature of Revd Fr Hyacinth Alia, as the substantive governorship candidate of the party in Benue state, in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
The APC chairman, who made the disclosure in a speech, to mark his birthday and that of the State APC Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomun, at the party’s Secretariat in Makurdi on Monday, stated that all the imbalances in the wake of the primaries have been sorted out amongst the interest groups.
According to him, the party remain united to fight its common enemy in the state; explaining that the nomination of Architect Asema Achado, as the flag bearer for Gwer/Gwer West Federal constituency is intact.
The State APC Chairman described the rumours making round against him, over alleged forgery of primary election results and subsequent arrest by security agents as cheap propaganda, sponsored by what he described as the handiwork of the ‘failed PDP administration’ in Benue state.
“Let me encourage the good people of Benue State and the APC family worldwide to keep faith with the party, as it is bent on delivering good governance, especially under the would be government of Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia in 2023.”
Comrade Agada assured Benue people that the party will also go with them on how best to rule the state, if given the mandate next year, calling people to obtain their PVCs and participate in the electoral process of deciding who governs them.
It would be recalled that confusion had trailed the governorship primaries in Benue state, with former national chairman of the PDP, Engr Barnabas Gemade and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), among other aspirants, challenging the validity and emergence of Fr Alia, as the winner of the first and rerun exercises in the state.
Engr Gemade in his petition before the Governorship Electoral Committee in Makurdi, held that the National Working Committee (NWC), had approved an indirect mode of primary election for the party in Benue state; explaining that anything short of that would amount to an exercise in futility.
While the committee went ahead with the election that produced Fr Alia as the winner, other aspirants petitioned the NWC about the outcome which led to the cancellation of results from some local government areas and ordering a repeat in more than eight local government areas and some council wards in Buruku local government area.
In the rerun exercise, Fr Alia again polled the highest votes ahead of other aspirants, even as former Minister of Justice, Aondoakaa, filed a suit at a High Court, Abuja Division, challenging the party membership status of Fr Alia, among others.
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