Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has officially accepted his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, describing the outcome of the party primaries as a strong endorsement of his administration’s performance.
Alia, who is seeking a second term in office from 2027 to 2031, said the overwhelming support he received reflected the confidence of party members in his leadership and development agenda for the state.
The APC governorship primary, conducted on Thursday, May 20, 2026, was officially declared on Friday at the party’s state secretariat in Makurdi by the Chairman of the Governorship Primaries Committee, Prof. Mohammed Kabiru Isa.
According to the results, Alia secured 367,786 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Dr. Terwase Orbunde, who polled 3,247 votes.
In his acceptance speech, the governor described the victory as a mandate for continuity and thanked APC members for what he termed an overwhelming show of confidence in his administration.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring a level playing field during the exercise, while praising the APC national leadership under Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and the Benue APC leadership headed by Chief Benjamin Omale for conducting a peaceful and transparent primary.
In a reconciliation move following the contest, Alia extended an olive branch to other aspirants, urging them to work together in the interest of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor noted several achievements recorded by his administration in the last three years across key sectors including infrastructure, healthcare, education, industrialisation and digital innovation.
He said the Benue Investment and Property Company had revived and established industries such as the brewery producing “Zeva Premium Beer” and “Oyi Bitters,” alongside water, bakery, nail, polythene and fruit juice factories.
Alia further stated that his administration upgraded the Benue State University Teaching Hospital into a modern healthcare facility and rehabilitated more than 100 primary healthcare centres across the state.
On infrastructure, he disclosed that over 500 kilometres of roads had been constructed, including underpasses in Makurdi and Gboko.
Speaking on education, the governor said more than 400 classroom blocks were either being constructed or remodeled in public primary schools, while over 10,000 teachers had been recruited to improve learning outcomes.
He added that the newly established Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology in Ihugh was created to produce graduates equipped with practical scientific and agro-technology skills.
The governor also highlighted his administration’s digital transformation drive, revealing partnerships with Microsoft and Google aimed at training over 10,000 youths in ICT, alongside e-governance training for civil servants.
Calling for peace and unity across political, ethnic and religious lines, Alia assured residents that he would continue to govern with transparency, compassion and accountability.
He maintained that accepting the APC ticket was “not a personal triumph, but a call to greater service.”
Benue APC primaries: Gov Alia extends olive branch to rivals
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