Meet First Elected Governor in Nigeria Without First Lady Since 1999

Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, the newly elected governor of Benue state, would probably be the first elected Nigerian governor to be without a first lady for his tenure, being a Catholic priest.

This would be the first time this would happened since the beginning of the fourth Republic in 1999, even though it has happened before in the same state in 1992, when, a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Moses Adasu was, elected the governor of Benue state, he was, however, removed by the military government of General Sani Abacha in 1993.

The 56-year-old won the governorship seat of Benue state, under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), polling 473, 933 votes to defects his closest rival from the People Democratic Party (PDP), who got 223, 913 votes.

Before his emergence as the candidate of his party, he was a renowned clergy man, and even has a healing centre, and is quite famous among the people. He was born in Mbangur, Mbandede, in Vandeikya local government of Benue state, and he had his primary school and his first seminary education in the state.