The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, March 20 declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, as the winner of the March 18 poll and the Governor-Elect.
The Catholic priest won 473,933 votes ahead of his closest rival and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Titus Uba, who scored 223,913.
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The Returning Officer, Prof Faruq Kuta and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna declared Alia the winner.
Alia, who is a member of the ruling APC, is expected to take over from Governor Samuel Ortom of the PDP G5.
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So far, the results of 20 governorship polls have been announced. The APC takes the lead with 14 states, the PDP with five states and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with one state.
The election in Kebbi was declared inconclusive by the electoral body while the collation of the results of governorship polls in Abia and Enugu was suspended.
Officially, nine of the 11 governors who sought reelection in the March 18 polls held across Nigeria in West Africa have been declared winners by INEC to return to office for another four-year term each.