Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, on Tuesday, declared winner of the Benue North East Senatorial District by the National Assembly Electoral Committee that conducted the senatorial primary elections in the state.
Senator Suswam polled 131,083 votes to floor the sitting Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende, who scored 1,364 votes for the Senatorial District.
New Telegraph reports that in the Benue North West senatorial district, the incumbent Senator, Titus Tartenger Zam, also lost gallantly to a newcomer, a retired Assistant Comptroller of Customs, ACC Aber Terseer Benjamin, who coasted to victory with 93,412 votes against Zam’s 2,763 votes.
Benue North East and West senatorial axis respectively have a total of 14 local government areas those inhabitants are predominantly the Tiv people.
The results of the senatorial primary election, as announced by the Chairman of the panel, Alhaji Sabiu Saidu, indicated that in Benue South senatorial district, the home of former Senate President, David Mark, one-time member of the House of Representatives representing Ado/Okpokwu/ Ohimini constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Francis Otta Agbo, was declared the winner with a total of 58,760 votes.
Hon. Agbo contested with five other aspirants to emerge as the senatorial candidate for the APC in the area.
New Telegraph reports that there was huge anxiety in the camps of the unlucky senators (Senators Zam and Udende), as they reportedly had an intractable political animosity with Governor Hyacinth Alia over party issues, a development that analysts said greatly reflected in the outcome of the primaries.
Speaking with journalists, the ACC Aber Terseer, said he saw his victory against Senator Titus Zam as an opportunity to further strengthen the party structure and ensure that it comes out victorious ahead of next year’s general elections.
“I will unify the party, including my colleagues who contested with me, and I will seek to bring us together, work together to move the state and our country forward”.
