The Forum of APC 2027 Aspirants in Benue appoints Commissioner James Dwem as Patron for Benue North-West, vowing to unite defeated primary contestants behind Governor Alia and President Tinubu's re-election bids.
Makurdi, Benue State — September 15, 2026
The Forum of APC 2027 Aspirants in Benue State has appointed Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. James Dwem, as its Patron for the Benue North-West Senatorial District, while pledging to mobilise vigorous support for the re-election of Governor Hyacinth Alia, all APC candidates in the state, and President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Forum President Pastor Jonathan Iorhemba disclosed the development during a courtesy visit to Dwem's office in Makurdi on Monday.
Iorhemba said Forum members, despite having lost their bids in the APC primary elections, had unanimously resolved to set aside their differences and work collectively toward the party's success in 2027.
He stressed that the APC "remains supreme," framing the Forum's decision to support the party's eventual candidates as rooted in a commitment to overall party unity rather than personal ambition.
Iorhemba added that the grassroots networks built during the various primary campaigns had left Forum members with substantial support bases across the state, which the group is now prepared to deploy across Benue's council wards to strengthen the APC's electoral prospects.
Other Forum members praised Dwem's leadership qualities and pledged to work closely with him, while also commending Governor Alia for redeploying him to head the newly created Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, a move they described as a strategic step toward strengthening grassroots administration across the state.
Accepting the appointment, Dwem thanked the Forum for its confidence and urged other aspirants who have not yet formed support groups for Alia and Tinubu to do so without delay.
He argued that APC unity and electoral success would translate into political stability, allowing Alia's administration to consolidate its development agenda beyond 2027, and called on all party members, particularly former primary contestants, to close ranks behind the party's leadership.
The occasion was capped with the formal presentation of a certificate of appointment to Dwem as Patron of the Forum for Benue North-West.
Also in attendance were Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Monitoring and Inspection, Hon. Prince Nathan Angwe, and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Gwaza Ujamatyu.
The move reflects a broader pattern of ruling-party consolidation ahead of Benue's 2027 election cycle, coming as Alia's administration simultaneously touts its infrastructure record and the $5 billion Hudson Global investment MoU as the foundation of its re-election case, while facing sustained pressure from opposition figures, civil society groups, and the fallout from the Peter Obi convoy blockade controversy.
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