Afrigather JOHN CHARLES x-rays the political voyage of the Catholic priest, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, who for the third time has gained the rescheduled governorship major of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State
For the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, the expertise of the previous few months when he launched into a political voyage won’t be simply forgotten. Maybe on the time he nursed the ambition to stop the pulpit and enterprise into the murky waters of Nigerian politics, he might not have envisaged that every one that’s noble and honourable have to be achieved via pangs of pains, trials and difficulties.
The momentum that accompanied his political declaration was steadily waning each day following the massive opposition that was standing in opposition to his aspiration inside his social gathering and the Peoples Democratic Social gathering within the state. As a religious man, he certainly is aware of that the whole lot in life was ordained by God; he should even be conversant with the notion that in overcoming battles of life, dedication, prayers and future have roles to play.
To date, Alia will be mentioned to have confronted the tempest in lots of sudden methods inside his political social gathering and the ruling PDP with out failing to brush the challenges apart. Just like the proverbial cat with 9 lives, the Catholic priest, little question has made historical past as the primary governorship candidate within the state to face social gathering major election 3 times and in every of the primaries, Alia has come out victorious. Within the first governorship major election of the APC held on Could 27, 2022, Alia picked the ticket after he defeated 11 different aspirants within the direct mode of major election.
The priest polled a complete of 526,807 votes to defeat his closest rival, Dr Mathias Byuan, who polled 113,816 votes. Others, who participated within the major, had been a former Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Sam Ode, who garnered 79,369 votes to come back third, whereas a former deputy governor of Benue State, Chief Stephen Lawan, polled 46,882 votes to come back fourth. A former Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, polled 24,596 votes, whereas the previous Chief of Workers to Governor Samuel Ortom, Mr Terwase Orbunde, polled 12,446 votes and Prof Terhemba Shija, obtained 10,487 votes.
Terlumun Ikya polled 3,680 votes, whereas a member of the Home Consultant for the Konshisha/Vandeikya Federal Constituency, Herman Hembe, garnered 2,473 votes. A former nationwide chairman of the PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade, garnered 2,365 votes; Godwin Tyoapine polled 1,228 votes, whereas Bernard Yisa obtained 742 votes.
Nevertheless, the victory of the Catholic priest was greeted by protests from among the governorship aspirants, particularly Gemade, Aondoaaka and Shija. In a letter of protest to the nationwide management of the APC, Shija rejected the end result of the election, describing all the course of as a sham.
He wrote within the letter, “The direct major of the APC held on Friday, Could 27, 2022, was to say the least a sham and an aberration of democracy. We reject and disassociate ourselves from the outcomes of the train.”
In his protest letter, Gemade kicked in opposition to the sudden adoption of the direct mode of major, describing it as “improper, extremely vires and unacceptable,” whereas Ikya questioned the failure of the social gathering to strictly observe all the principles governing the appliance of the direct mode of major.
Responding to the protests, the social gathering arrange a governorship attraction committee headed by Princess Ozoamaka Oyeama, and after listening to the aggrieved individuals, got here out with a suggestion {that a} contemporary major be performed.
Oyeama questioned the method that gave Alia victory, including, “How can an election of the magnitude of complete votes forged of 815,452 not have not less than one invalid vote? We, the attraction panel members, unanimously agree that it’s not the true reflection of a reputable election; it’s too flawless in determine, which is a transparent proof of the assertions of the aspirants/stakeholders that it was written in anyone’s home, the state social gathering secretariat or in hidden locations.
“Our submission on the above as attraction panel members was that no election occurred in Benue State gubernatorial major election on Could 26, 27 and 28, 2022, and the outcomes so submitted by the first election committee members had been an allusion, mirage, façade and at finest a ‘Yahoo-yahoo’ consequence sheet. We, the attraction panel members, insist that the governorship major election of Benue State be cancelled and a brand new date fastened for a contemporary election instantly as time is of the essence.”
The Nationwide Working Committee of the APC, having reviewed the advice of the governorship appeals panel, ordered a rerun for the governorship major in 12 native authorities areas of the state.
The Chairman of the governorship rerun committee, Joel Omajali, who superintended over the June 4, 2022 rerun, mentioned 12 councils specifically; Kwande, Ushongo, Buruku, Konshisha, Ogbadibo, Agatu, Ohimini, Ado, Oju, Okpokwu, Obi and Apa had been affected. He, nonetheless, said that in Buruku, the rerun would happen in solely three council wards specifically; Mbaya, Mbaapen and Binev.
On the finish of the rerun on Thursday, June 9, 2022, Omajali declared the Catholic priest the winner, having polled complete votes of 195,314.
Nevertheless, on the rescheduled major held on Friday, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Basheer Lado, whereas declaring Alia the winner of the first, mentioned the priest polled 410,682 votes to beat his closest rival, Sam Ode, who polled 22,319. Lado defined that the entire variety of registered voters for the election within the 23 LGAs of the state was 868,010.
Lado gave a breakdown of the entire votes by every of the aspirants within the 23 LGAs of the state thus; Mathias Ibuan, 14,593; Bernard Yisa, 581; Gemade, 5,125; Ikya, 2,851; and Sam Ode, 22,319.
Others are Alia, 410,682 votes; Aondoakaa, 3,815; Godwin Tyoachimin, 1,139; Steven Lawani, 21,172; Shija, 2,217; Mlanga, 219; Terwase Orbunde, 1,391; and Herman Hembe, 638 votes.
The committee chairman mentioned, “With this doc earlier than me, I hereby declare Rev Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, who scored a complete variety of 410,682 votes, having scored the very best variety of votes, because the winner of this election.”
Results of the rerun major within the 11 native authorities areas confirmed that Alia polled 219,002 votes; Bernard Yisa, 136 votes; Ode, 255 votes; Ibuan, 4,797 votes; Aondoakaa, 606 votes; and Gemade, 450 votes. Others are Hembe, 688 votes; Orbunde, two votes; Lawani, 120 votes; Mlanga, 766 votes; Shija, 219 votes and Godwin Tyoachimin, 454 votes.
The social gathering later held a particular congress the place it affirmed the candidacy of Alia to fly the APC flag in subsequent month’s election. The state social gathering Chairman, Austin Agada, moved for the ratification of the priest.
Although the aggrieved governorship aspirants, notably these nonetheless in courtroom, had been reported to not have participated within the rescheduled rerun major, the reality stays that so long as the Catholic priest is within the race and direct mode is utilized for the first election, not one of the aspirants might be able to defeat him.
Nevertheless, not a number of have recommended members of the APC for his or her resilience in popping out every time the courtroom or social gathering orders a contemporary major.
A former member of the Home of Representatives and one-time chairman of Benue State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Goddy Ikerave, mentioned, “That exhibits the love the individuals of Benue State have for the governorship candidate.
“The possibilities of Alia are 100 per cent; the individuals of the state have determined and are calling for a change, and that is apparent; as soon as Tiv individuals say no, it’s no, regardless of the cash the ruling PDP within the state has to throw round. The change has come and that’s the reason they (PDP members) are afraid of the shadow of Rev Fr Alia. I’ve been within the PDP for twenty-four years, however when the pinnacle is rotten, the physique is gone. There may be nothing anyone can do; they (PDP members) are operating from pole to pole.
Ikerave, nonetheless, admonished different aspirants to know that the calling of the Catholic priest into politics was a divine mandate. He defined that the individuals of the state had been going to vote and wouldn’t achieve this in courtroom. He regretted that among the aspirants on the platform of the APC had been receiving monetary help from the federal government within the state in order to scuttle the dream of the individuals.
“Alia’s situation is a divine mandate and his victory is assured regardless of all of the hurdles in courtroom. We’re blissful that they don’t personal the courtroom, else we won’t be the place we’re right this moment. It exhibits an act of desperation, whereas among the aspirants can not win councillorship election of their locations,” he added.
Talking additional on the hurdles being confronted by the governorship candidate, the previous federal lawmaker mentioned it was an ominous signal of victory within the March 11 governorship ballot.
“The best way to heaven shouldn’t be simple; it’s a slim gate. So, going to the Authorities Home, he has to face these hurdles and the tip of it is going to be pleasure,” Ikerave added.
Additionally commenting on the possibilities of the Catholic priest, a member of state Home of Meeting representing the Tarka State Constituency, Bem Mgutyo, described them as shiny, including that the APC governorship candidate might need been ready by God to superintend over the state.
He mentioned Alia’s therapeutic ministry had endeared him to the individuals of the state, whom he mentioned had been able to vote massively for him within the forthcoming governorship election.
“The person is well-liked and he’s totally liked by the individuals. Given a free and truthful election, he’s certain to hold the day. As a reverend father, earlier than he ventured into politics, he used to have this therapeutic ministry. By that, he impacted the lives of many individuals and this has been going for him. He’s humble and paired with the truth that the PDP-led authorities has tousled the state, this has additional enhanced his possibilities,” Mgutyo mentioned.
Lending his voice, a former Deputy Speaker, Benue State Home of Meeting, Ralph Igbago, recommended the APC candidate for his resilience in pursuing his aspiration regardless of all odds. He maintained that the governorship candidate had the whole lot going for him to win the governorship ballot.
“For those who recall the ‘Sure Father’ mantra that unfold and continues to be spreading like fireplace throughout harmattan throughout the size and breadth of the state, it is a sign that the person is liked and persons are able to vote for him within the coming election,” the previous lawmaker mentioned.
However the chief of a pro-PDP group within the state, Benue Youth Discussion board, Terrence Kuanum, mentioned the opposition APC ought to go and relaxation, sustaining that the social gathering wouldn’t take part within the forthcoming governorship election.
Based on him, the Electoral Act stipulates that social gathering primaries be performed 180 days earlier than normal elections, including that the appellate courtroom’s order was in battle with the Act.
Kuanum said, “The social gathering (APC) has not adopted the regulation; so, I can not say something about their major as a result of the Attraction Court docket doesn’t have jurisdiction to order a rerun major in keeping with the Electoral Act.
“The social gathering in its June 9, 2022 rerun major didn’t comply with the regulation, as a result of what the regulation stipulates is that each social gathering ought to give the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee 21 days’ discover and secondly, primaries are to be performed not less than 180 days earlier than the overall elections.
“So, I don’t perceive the regulation that the Attraction Court docket has interpreted. Anyway, what’s there’s that earlier than the regulation of the land, the APC in Benue State doesn’t have a candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.”
Nevertheless, because the supporters of the reverend father proceed to have a good time his third victory on the major, some political observers within the state are of the view that it’s not but Uhuru till all of the instances in courtroom are disposed of.
