A 105-year-old former lawmaker, Hon. David Mtwem, has publicly endorsed Prof. Sebastine Hon’s bid for the 2027 governorship of Benue State. The centenarian, who visited Prof. Hon’s Makurdi residence on Wednesday, described the senior lawyer as capable of fostering peace and driving development in the state.

Mtwem, a former member of the old Gongola State House of Assembly representing Wukari Federation in 1979 and 1983, recounted decades of conflict between the Tiv and Jukun communities in Taraba State. He lamented the historical attacks on Tiv settlements, churches, and polling units.

Mtwem, now a theologist based in Ayu Lokoja, Taraba State, urged Benue voters to support Prof. Hon, citing his decades of advocacy for the Tiv people. He criticized recent government interventions, including the delayed visit of Governor Hyacinth Alia to Taraba State, as insufficient in addressing Tiv grievances.

Prof. Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, leads a legal team of 40 lawyers in a case challenging the Taraba State government on behalf of the Tiv community. He thanked Mtwem for the visit, describing it as a “show 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.”