The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Fr. Hycinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the governorship election in Benue.

This INEC  Returning Officer, Prof. Farouk Kuta, who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Minna, announced the result in Makurdi on Monday.

He said Alia won the election with 473,933 votes to defeat his closest rival, Titus Uba of the PDP who got 223,913 votes.

The returning officer said though election did not hold in Kwande Local Government Area, the difference in votes between Alia and the PDP candidate was 251,020 votes.

Kuta explained that the election in Kwande LGA did not substantially affect the final vote tally even if it held.

He added that he took the decision to announce the result in line with Section 24(2) of the Electoral Act.(NAN)