Hyacinth Alia

Hyacinth Iormem Alia (born May 15, 1966) is a Nigerian Catholic cleric and politician who has been a serving governor of Benue State since May 29, 2023.

Early life and education
Hyacinth Alia was born on 15 May 1966, in Mbangur, Mbadede, Vandeikya local government area of Benue State. He got his First School Leaving Certificate from St. Francis Primary school, Agidi, Mbatiav in Gboko local government area of the state and in 1983, he enrolled at St. James Minor Seminary, Makurdi. He gained admission to study at St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos. He studied for a diploma in Religious studies in 1987 and a Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Theology in 1990. In 1999, he obtained a Master's in Religious Education (Psychology and Counseling) at Fordham University, Bronx, New York City. In 2004, he got an additional master's degree in biomedical ethics from Duquesne University, Pennsylvania. He received a doctorate in the same course at Duquesne in 2005, but his dissertation is not in the library holdings.

Ordination and suspension as a priest
Hyacinth Alia was ordained a Catholic priest on 7 July 1990, by Bishop Athanasius Atule Usuh of Makurdi Catholic Diocese. In May 2022, he was suspended from his priestly faculties by William Avenya, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, since Alia had declared himself a candidate for the political office of governor.

The bishop explained that "The Mother Church does not allow her clerics to get involved in partisan politics on their own Ex can. 285, 3 CIC. You are aware that my son, your brother, and your priest have purchased the party forms to contest for the Governor of Benue State under the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is totally against our vocation."

During the course of Alia's campaign, it was noted that he was popular among Benue indigenes due to his previous work as an alleged miracle worker.