The report getting to Indepth news suggests that the suspended reverend father with the Catholic Church Diocese of Gboko, Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has defeated his closest contender, Barnabas Gemade and others, to win the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket in the state.

Alia,

was suspended by the church after declaring  interest to run for the post in the 2023 general elections. He contested against the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mike Aondoakaa, and the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barnabas Gemade.

Alia was relieved of his priestly duties temporarily on the grounds of the canon laws of the Catholic Church. Alia got over 7,000 votes, ehich represents the highest number of votes cast at the primary election on Friday to win the party’s ticket.

Is worthy to remember that the APC in Benue choosed to do direct primary in picking its governorship candidate, which meant that members of the party in the state voted for their preferred candidate.

Alia’s opponents, Gemade and Aondoakaa, reportedly did not get any votes from delegates in some of the local government areas.

The priest said that he joined the governorship race to rescue Benue people from the “shackles of maladministration.”

“From the day I took the decision to answer the overwhelming calls of my people to contest the governorship of Benue with the aim to rescue our people from the shackles of maladministration, I was fully aware of the sacrifice I was going to make.”