With his eyes fixed on the 2027 elections, Prof. Kohol Iornem believes that his ambition to represent Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency and his support for Governor Hyacinth Alia’s re-election offer an opportunity to change the political and development narrative of the area. DENEN ACHUSSAH writes.
For Prof. Kohol Iornem, the 2027 general elections represent more than another political contest. They offer Kwande and Ushongo an opportunity to rethink political representation, embrace purposeful leadership and redirect the development trajectory of the constituency.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) nominated Prof. Kohol as its candidate for the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency seat ahead of the 2027 elections. His emergence, however, has been caught in the controversy surrounding the publication of candidates’ names by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which listed a different individual as the party’s candidate.
This development, allegedly engineered by political actors popularly described in Benue political parlance as “Ubokotis,” has triggered litigation. The controversy is not peculiar to Kwande/Ushongo, as similar disputes have affected other constituencies and senatorial districts, including Benue North-East and Benue North-West.
While the legal battles continue, supporters of Prof. Kohol remain confident that the courts will uphold the outcome of the APC primary election in Kwande/Ushongo.
“Our preferred choice is Prof. Kohol. Besides, the popular opinion in Kwande is that 2027 should be the turn of Ushongo, and that was the understanding during the APC primaries. The courts will soon correct the error, and we are confident of coasting to victory,” Mr Maurice Tsav, a Director of the Tinubu/Alia Campaign Council, told The New Times.
That optimism has received encouragement from recent judicial decisions on similar nomination disputes. In the Kogi West Senatorial District case, for instance, the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a judgment delivered on November 4, declared Bamidele Aro the duly nominated candidate of his party after finding that the primary election which produced him was monitored by INEC, while the rival exercise was not.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, who delivered the judgment, held that INEC monitoring was a mandatory requirement under the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. The court consequently directed the electoral commission to recognise and publish Aro’s name.
The Kogi West decision has become an important morale booster for candidates and supporters involved in similar nomination disputes, including Prof. Kohol’s camp. Although the outcome of each case will depend on its specific facts and evidence, the judgment has reinforced their belief in the judicial process as a means of resolving disputes over party nominations.
But beyond the legal contest, what makes Prof. Kohol’s candidacy particularly significant is the development proposition he brings to the table.
Having lived and worked in the United Kingdom for more than a decade, the professor of Management believes that his exposure to functional institutions, development planning and effective public service delivery can be translated into practical solutions for the challenges confronting his constituency.
For him, international exposure should not be an avenue for personal distinction but an opportunity to bring home knowledge, tested ideas and experiences that can improve the lives of ordinary people.
His supporters point to his interventions in education, rural healthcare and social welfare as evidence that his interest in Kwande and Ushongo goes beyond electoral calculations. They argue that his record of community engagement has earned him organic support, particularly among people who desire a representative whose relationship with the constituency will not begin and end with election campaigns.
The constituency faces familiar but persistent development challenges: Inadequate access to quality healthcare, educational gaps, poor rural infrastructure, unemployment and the limited economic opportunities available to many communities.
These are issues that require more than political promises. They demand strategic representation, effective collaboration with government institutions, deliberate investment in human capital and the ability to attract development opportunities to underserved communities.
This is where Prof. Kohol’s supporters believe his partnership with Fr. Hyacinth Alia, the Governor of Benue State becomes important.
They see his support for the governor’s re-election as a strategic alignment that could strengthen cooperation between the federal constituency and the state government. In their assessment, having a representative who shares the governor’s development vision could improve coordination, facilitate access to government programmes and make it easier to push constituency-specific priorities.
It is a proposition built around collaboration rather than political confrontation: A legislature-state government partnership capable of translating political goodwill into tangible development outcomes.
For Prof. Kohol, however, the present legal battle is an unfortunate distraction from what he considers the more important task ahead. He believes political setbacks should not derail a vision for development and that the energy expended on reclaiming his mandate should ultimately be redirected towards addressing the needs of the people.
His message to supporters is therefore one of patience, confidence and focus. Kohol Alia Asôrtar (Team up with Fr. Alia for development).
The slogan captures the political direction his camp seeks to project: A shared commitment to Prof. Kohol’s aspiration and Fr. Alia’s second-term ambition.
Ultimately, the courts will determine the legal dispute over the APC ticket. But the bigger question for Kwande and Ushongo is what kind of representation can best respond to their development needs.
Prof. Kohol is positioning himself as an answer to that question, offering a combination of international exposure, community interventions and political alignment with the state government.
If his aspiration survives the legal hurdles and receives the mandate of voters in 2027, the real test will be how effectively he translates those promises into measurable improvements in the lives of his constituents.
For now, his supporters are convinced that a new political dawn is within reach. Their expectation is that the legal contest will soon give way to the more important business of development.
