The governorship candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Revd. Fr. Hyacinth Alia said he is not perturbed by the legal/political challenges surrounding his candidacy.
He added that he will rise above the challenge and continue to fight for a better future for the state.
Alia stated this while reacting to the recent Appeal Court judgement which ordered the party to conduct election in 11 local government areas in the state.
The Court of Appeal recently ordered fresh primary elections to be conducted in 11 local government areas of Benue state in order to further determine the nomination of the party’s governorship candidate for the forthcoming general elections.
Alia however assured his supporters that he will fly the party’s flag despite the court’s nullification of the party primaries.
In a statement yesterday, Alia said, he will be consulting with the party’s legal team and the leadership of the party in order to determine the next steps.
“We have two options: To comply with the order of the Appeal Court and conduct a re-run primary in the eleven local governments within 14 days or to approach the Supreme Court for further interpretations.
“Whatever decision we make, I want to assure you that we will be making it with the best interests of our party, people, and state in mind. We will not be swayed by the challenges we face at the moment, but instead, we will rise above them and continue to fight for a better future for all of us.”
The statement reads in part, “As the governorship candidate of our great party, the (APC), I want to assure all of you that we are law abiding citizens and we respect the judgment of the court.
I want to reassure you that we have confidence in the judicial system.
“However, it is important to note that the court has agreed with the APC on the rerun of June 9, 2022, which took place in 12 LGAs of Benue State and was valid and still stands, and for us, this is a victory”.
“Therefore, the rerun is only in 11 local government areas, and it will be almost impossible to overturn the valid votes already in our favor in the 12 Local government areas”.
He said the news from the court might be disheartening for many of his supporters, but urged them to remain calm and law-abiding.
He said they should be sure that he is still going to be on the ballot on March 11, 2023, and be together for the greatness of the state and to the glory of God.
The APC candidate therefore, assured that the party is not giving up on this very important journey to rescue the good people of Benue from poor leadership and will not let this setback weaken them.
He expressed gratitude to all the supporters for their unwavering support and belief in the party’s mission for a Greater Benue, saying together, they will come out of the temporary setback stronger and more united than ever before.
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