List of Governors of Benue State and Their Deputies

Governors
Deputies
Years in Office
Party
Abdullahi Shelleng
Not Stated
March 1976 - July 1978
Military
Captain Adebayo Hamed Lawal
Not Stated
July 1978 - October 1979
Military
Aper Aku
Isah Odoma
October 1979 - December 1983
NPN
John Atom Kpera
Not Stated
January 1984 - August 1985
Military
Jonah David Jang
Not Stated
August 1985 - August 1986
Military
(Colonel) Yohanna Anteyan Madaki
Not Stated
August 1986 - September 1986
Military
Ishaya Bakut
Not Stated
September 1986 - December 1987
Military
Idris Garba
Not Stated
December 1987 - 1987
Military
Lt. Colonel Fidelis Makka
Not Stated
December 1987 - January 1992
Military
Very Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu
Not Stated
January 1992 - November 1993
SDP
Captain Joshua Obademi
Not Stated
December 1993 - August 1996
Military
Aminu Isa Kontagora
Not Stated
August 1996 - August 1998
Military
Dominic Obukadata Oneya
Not Stated
August 1998 - May 1999
Military
George Akume
Ogiri Ajene
May 1999 - May 2007
PDP
Gabriel Torwua Suswam
Not Stated
May 2007 - May 2015
PDP
Samuel Ioraer Ortom
Benson Abounu
May 2015 - May 2023
PDP
Hyacinth Iormem Alia
Dr. Samuel Ode
May 2023 – Till Now
APC

About the Current Governor of Benue State

Hyacinth Iormem Alia

The current governor of Benue State is Hyacinth Iormem Alia. He was born in Mbangur, Mbadede, Vandeikya Local Government Area, Benue State, on May 15, 1966.

On July 7, 1990, the Makurdi Diocese Bishop bestowed the title of Catholic priest. The Bishop of Gboko Diocese suspended him from his ecclesiastical responsibilities in May 2022 after announcing his gubernatorial run.

On the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he ran for governor of Benue in 2023 and defeated PDP opponent Titus Uba.

On May 29, 2023, he took the oath of office as the sixth democratically elected governor of Benue State. He holds a doctorate in biomedical ethics, a master’s degree in religious education, and a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology.

READ ALSO: Complete List of Past and Current Governors of Bayelsa State and Their Deputies

Who Is The Deputy Governor Of Benue State?

Dr. Samuel Ode

The current deputy governor of Benue State is Dr. Samuel Ode. On November 7, 1968, he was born in Mkar, Benue State. He is a native of the Edikwu kindred in the Otukpo local government area’s Ewulo council district.

His mother’s grandpa was the late Rt. Hon. Edward Kundu Swem, a three-term member of the Federal House of Representatives, and his father is a retired colonel from the Nigerian Army.

Because of his dual Idoma and Tiv ancestry, he created peace between the Idoma and Tiv ethnic communities in Benue State.

Running alongside Governor Hyacinth Alia on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, Ode was elected as the Deputy Governor of Benue State in 2023.

He is a member of the esteemed National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Ode is a lawyer by profession. Ode worked with the government for a long time before being appointed deputy governor.

Finally, he was the Federal Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, he held positions as the Chairman of Local Government, Special Assistant, and Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State.

READ ALSO: Complete List of Past and Current Governors of Bauchi State and Their Deputies

Some Facts About Benue State

Benue State, known as the Food Basket of the Nation, is in North Central Nigeria. Below are a few essential details regarding the state:

Benue State is one of the seven states established under General Murtala Mohammed’s military rule. The state was created on February 3, 1976, from the former Benue-Plateau State. With 33,955 square kilometers of landmass, the state is located between latitudes 6.5°N and 8.5°N and longitudes 7.47°E and 10°E.

The state’s most prominent geographical feature is the Benue River, Nigeria’s second-largest river after the Niger River.

The Tiv occupy 14 LGAs, and the Idoma and the Igede are the main ethnic groupings. There are also minority groups like the Igbo, Jukun, and Etulo.

It shares with Kogi to the west, Enugu to the southwest, Taraba to the east, Cross River to the south, Nasarawa State to the north, and an international border with Cameroon to the southeast.

Benue State ranked ninth in terms of population in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, with 4,253,641 people living there.

Furthermore, the States is known for its richness in agricultural products such as Bananas, rice, beans, cassava, potatoes, maize, soybeans, sorghum, millet, cocoyam, and many more.

It will interest you that agriculture is the backbone of the state economy and employs more than 75% of its workforce.

They are well-known for their rich and varied cultural traditions with their wonderful vibrant clothing, fascinating masquerades, elegant music, and dances.

Meanwhile, traditional leaders are highly respected by the state government because they preserve culture and act as catalysts for growth.

There is a three-tiered system of traditional councils: the State Council of Chiefs, Area Traditional Councils (Tiv and Idoma), and Local Government Area Traditional Councils.

References

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