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A 105-year-old former lawmaker, Hon. David Mtwem, has publicly endorsed Prof. Sebastian Hon’s bid for the 2027 governorship of Benue State, describing him as the best candidate to foster peace, unity, and development in the state.
The centenarian, who visited Prof. Hon’s residence in Makurdi on Wednesday, recounted his decades-long advocacy for the Tiv people and lamented ongoing Tiv-Jukun conflicts in Taraba State. Mtwem, a former member of the old Gongola State House of Assembly representing Wukari Federation in 1979 and 1983, highlighted historical attacks on Tiv settlements, churches, and polling units in Taraba.
Now a theologian based in Ayu Lokojia, Taraba State, Mtwem urged Benue voters to support Prof. Hon, praising his longstanding service and legal advocacy for the Tiv community. He criticized recent government interventions in Taraba, including the delayed visit by Governor Hyacinth Alia, as insufficient in addressing Tiv grievances.
Prof. Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), leads a legal team of 40 lawyers challenging the Taraba State government on behalf of the Tiv community. He thanked Mtwem for the visit, describing it as “a show of decades of solidarity and service to humanity.”
“I was part of the struggle for the creation of the state,” Mtwem said. “Now the Jukun people say we are no longer indigenes. Prof. Hon is the best candidate to lead Benue State.”
The endorsement has sparked renewed political discussions in Benue, particularly in Tiv-speaking areas, ahead of the 2027 governorship race. Observers note that the backing of a respected elder statesman like Mtwem carries symbolic weight in the state’s complex ethnic and political landscape.
No official response has been received from other political camps or the state government at the time of this report.
