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Suspended Catholic priest, Hyacinth Alia has emerged as the gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Alia emerged as the candidate of the APC for Benue State after polling over 7,000 votes from delegates to clinch the party’s ticket.
The suspended Catholic priest defeated his closet rivals, former Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoakaa and former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Barnabas Gemade.
The APC in Benue opted for direct primary to pick its governorship candidate, which means members of the party in the state voted for their preferred choice.
Alia was suspended by the church after his declaration. He was relieved of his priestly duties temporarily on the grounds of the canon laws of the Catholic church.
TNG reports Alia had while reacting to his suspension by the Vatican through a letter signed by Most. Rev. William Avenya, the Bishop of Gboko Diocese in Benue, pledged to represent the Church well in his political and personal conduct.
Alia, suspended to allow him to pursue his political career but will be welcomed back thereafter, owned up that the directive of the Church was in line with the rules, and regulations guiding the conduct of clergymen and laity.
He pledged not to disappoint the Church, saying that his aim in going into politics was to bring positive change in governance and the lives of the Benue people.
Alia described his suspension as a normal procedure to enable him to pursue his ambition.
“I will gladly return to continue ministration after repositioning the leadership quagmire in the state.
“I will be the arrowhead of positive political symbolism within the confines of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
Alia explained that there was nothing wrong with clergymen participating in active politics, as long as the aim was for the common good of the people.
He said that Benue required purposeful leadership to address the myriads of problems bedevilling it.
Alia listed some of the problems to include absence of good leadership, underdevelopment, poverty, insecurity, and gradual loss of confidence in government.
According to him, it is necessary to also reposition the civil service, to function effectively as the engine room of government through which the challenges will be tackled.
He recalled that Rev. Fr Moses Adasu, who was elected as Benue governor in 1992 when the state needed a new direction for its development, was also suspended, but was recalled after his tenure.