By Peter Duru

There was wild celebration across Benue State, after Senator George Akume, of All Progressives Congress, APC, representing Benue North west district, lost his bid to return to the Senate for the fourth time.

Akume

The former governor lost in last Saturday’s National Assembly election to People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate and member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Orker Jev.

Announcing the result of the election, which had generated a lot of anxiety and tension in the state, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, senatorial collation officer for the district, Prof. Nichodemous Ogbulu, declared the PDP candidate winner after poling a total of 157,726 votes.

ALSO READ: Prosecute Akume for fleecing Benue state of N2billion in 2007, Ortom charges EFCC

Akume on the other hand garnered 115,422 votes to suffer his first defeat since 2007 when he won his first election to the Senate.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Uzondu of the PDP also floored Terhide Utaan of APC to clinch Makurdi/Guma federal constituency seat.

Declaring Uzondu winner of the election, the returning officer, Prof. Hyacinth Oluma, said the PDP candidate polled 50,454 votes to defeat APC candidate, who got 37,743 votes.