By Iorliam Shija
The political dynamics ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Benue State are increasingly revealing the importance of internal cohesion within the various Tiv geopolitical blocs.
The incumbent governor, Rev Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, comes from the Jechira bloc. Jechira is a major political bloc comprising two local governments of Vandeikya and Konshisha.
Within Vandeikya, the major components are Kunav, itself divided into Kyan and Tiev. Konshisha, on the other hand, is largely divided into Shangev-Tiev and Gaav. Traditionally, the cohesion of these components has been critical in delivering bloc votes during governorship contests.
However, the current political reality suggests a fragmentation of Jechira’s voting strength. While Governor Alia, from Mbadede Council Ward in Vandeikya of Kyan , seeks re-election on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, other prominent sons of the bloc are emerging on different political platforms.
Prof. Terhemba Shija from Mbaduku, Tiev in Vandeikya, is poised to emerge as the governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress, NDC. In Konshisha, Dr. Mathias Ibyuan from Shangev-Tiev is expected to secure the ticket of the Labour Party, while Rt. Hon. Iorwase Hembe from Gaav is projected to fly the flag of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
This multiplicity of candidates from the same geopolitical bloc has inevitably weakened Governor Alia’s quest for consolidated Jechira bloc votes. Instead of a united front, the bloc appears headed for political dispersion across party lines.
In contrast, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP appears to have managed the politics of balancing and inclusion more strategically within the Kwande bloc, made up of Kwande and Ushongo local government areas.
Within Kwande, which consists broadly of Ichongo, Turan and Ikyurav-Ya, the PDP allocated the senatorial slot to Hon. Thomas Tyolumun Unongo of Turan . In Ipusu comprising Nanev, Usar, and Shangev-Ya , the party ceded the House of Representatives position to Hon. Moses Mkeenem of Nanev.
To consolidate this balancing arrangement, the PDP gubernatorial ticket went to Chief Mike Kaase Aondoakaa from Ushongo.
The implication is politically significant which is while Jechira enters the contest divided among multiple parties and ambitions, the PDP is attempting to build a coalition anchored on cohesion, inclusiveness and strategic distribution of political opportunities within the Kwande bloc.
As the governorship race intensifies, the battle for bloc votes may ultimately depend not only on popularity, but on how effectively each political camp manages internal unity, elite consensus and regional balancing.
Shija, a former Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Ortom on Archives writes from Abuja