Despite Gov Alia’s opposition, Akume’s candidate, APC’s Uche Terwase wins Gulma 1 State Constituency Seat in Benue rerun poll By theconclaveng -February 4, 20240142 Share Senator George Akume and Reverend Father Doctor Hyacinth Alia In a test of polit

In a test of political might between the camp of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume and that of the Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Gulma 1 State Constituency seat, Hon Uche Peter Terwase, sponsored by Akume’s camp, won the rerun election conducted n Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

APC’s Uche Peter Tewase polled 5, 289 votes to beat his closest rival, Jimmin Geoffrey of the People’s Democratic Party [PDP] who scored 4,135 votes.

The LP candidate scored 2,833 votes while All Progressives Grand Alliance [APGA] and African Democratic Congress [ADC] garnered 121 votes’ abd 72 votes respectively.

Tewarse was formally declared winner of the election by Returning Officer, Prof Julius Kay of the Joseph Sarwaun Tarka University, Makurdi.

THE CONCLAVE reports that having lost the bid to push through his preferred candidate, Mourice Owough, during the APC primary election, Gov. Alia turned to Peter China of Labour Party for the Guma 1 state Constituency election.

Alia, who is being accused of anti-party activity, reportedly sponsored China on the platform of the Labour Party and Jimmin Geoffrey on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in order to stop the victory of the APC candidate.

THE CONCLAVE further reports that the governor allegedly planned to ensure that votes were split in Mbabai Council ward from where both the APC candidate, Terwase and PDP candidate, Geoffrey, hail.

The governor reportedly deployed the PDP’s candidate, Geoffrey, from the same Mbabai Council ward with APC’s Tewarse in the election to divide the votes from the area and reduce the chances of Terwase’s victory.

The calculation, as learnt, was for the LP candidate, China, to maximize his potential electoral support in the remaining five of the six wards that make up the state constituency seat for victory.

Regardless of the governor’s machinations, the APC candidate, Terwase, triumphed in the election.

Terwase’s victory was attributed by the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Dan-Morgan Ihomun to the leadership dexterity of Sen Dr George Akume, Secretary to the government of the federation, the solid APC structure in the constituency, in addition to the candidate’s popularity and acceptability.

Morgan-Ihomun said that Terwase was a grounded grassroots politician and mobiliser who had wormed his way into the hearts of the people of the constituency.