Blessing Onuh, daughter of former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to seek re-election into the House of Representatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mrs Regina Akume, wife of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has also clinched the party’s return ticket in the State.
The APC had on Saturday conducted direct primary elections across the 11 federal constituencies in the 23 Local Government Areas of Benue State.
Our correspondent reports that the exercise, however, saw six serving lawmakers with five of them loyal to the SGF, Senator George Akume, lose their return bids to candidates believed to have the backing of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Those who lost the primaries include Dickson Tarkghir of Makurdi/Guma; Sesoo Gboko of Vandeikya/Konshisha; Asema Achado of Gwer East/Gwer West; Ugbor Terseer of Kwande/Ushongo; Sekav Iortyom of Buruku; and David Ogewu of Oju/Obi.
Apart from Mrs Regina Akume who retained the APC ticket for Gboko/Tarka federal constituency and Blessing Onuh who emerged victorious in Otukpo/Ohimini federal constituency, other serving lawmakers who secured return tickets are Ojema Ojotu of Apa/Agatu and Solomon Wombo of Katsina-Ala/Logo/Ukum federal constituency.
But Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency, Anthony Agom emerged winner following the defection of the incumbent, Philip Agbese, from APC to the Labour Party shortly before the exercise.
In the meantime, the Makurdi/Guma federal constituency’s ticket was won by Engr. Terfa Ikya who defeated incumbent Dickson Tarkghir, while Engr. Terhemba Nongo polled the highest votes in Gwer East/Gwer West to unseat Asema Achado.
Prof. Kohol Iornem, however, emerged winner in Kwande/Ushongo, defeating the incumbent, Ugbor Terseer.
In Vandeikya/Konshisha, Engr. Livinus Tsar defeated serving lawmaker, Sesoo Gboko, while Gideon Inyom emerged victorious in Buruku federal constituency after defeating incumbent Sekav Iortyom.
The Buruku primary was reportedly marred by the snatching of results in one of the council wards, though the situation was later brought under control with a suspect arrested while in another ward, a presiding officer was alleged to have failed to return election results.
At Oju/Obi federal constituency, incumbent David Ogewu lost to former Commissioner for Information, Dr Peter Egbodo, who recently resigned from Governor Alia’s administration.
Chairman of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee for Benue State, Alhaji Sabiu Saidu Mahuta, declared the highest scorers as winners of the election.
Mahuta urged all the contestants to embrace the outcome in good faithful as there are no winners or losers.