APC senatorial primaries: Suswam floors Udende as Benue SSG’s husband defeats Zam

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Sen Gabriel Suswam

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By Peter Duru, Makurdi

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Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, on Monday staged a political comeback after emerging winner of the All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial primary election for Benue North East Senatorial District.

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Suswam, who represented the district in the 9th Senate, secured a landslide victory with 131,083 votes, overwhelmingly defeating the incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende who polled 1,374 votes.

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The result marked one of the biggest upsets in the APC primaries in Benue state as the former governor reclaimed political dominance in Zone A.

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In Benue North West Senatorial District, Mr. Benjamin Aber, husband of the Benue State Secretary to the Government, also coasted to victory in the APC primary election.

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Aber polled 93,412 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Dave Awunah, who scored 21,731 votes, while the incumbent Senator Titus Zam finished a distant third with 2,763 votes.

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Meanwhile, former member of the House of Representatives, Francis Agbo, emerged winner of the APC senatorial primary for Benue South Senatorial District after securing 58,760 votes.

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Agbo defeated Joseph Ojobo who garnered 6,782 votes, while former PRODA Governing Board Chairman, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, who had earlier withdrawn from the contest, polled 4,570 votes.

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Confirming the results after receiving them from electoral officers, Chairman of the APC National Assembly Election Committee for Benue State, Alhaji Sabiu Mahuta, called on party members to embrace peace and unity following the exercise.

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He also said “there is an Appeal Committee which has its assignment to do. All aggrieved persons should file their appeal within 48 hours after the declaration.”

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Mahuta added, “The election was a family affair and should be rancour free. It should make us stronger as a party as no one won and no one lost, we are all one.”

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Commenting, the State Chairman of the party, Benjamin Omale thanked members of the committee for coming to the state to successfully conduct the peaceful primary election.

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He also thanked President Bola Tinubu, Governor Hyacinth Alia and the National Chairman of the APC for the smooth conduct of the exercise in the state.

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The Chairman lauded all the aspirants to the various positions and those that emerged victorious saying there was no victor or vanquished in the exercise noting that “it is all but one united family affair.”

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