The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was on Tuesday prevented by some youths from proceeding to Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State to commiserate with victims of deadly attacks by armed invaders.

This is the second time the presidential candidate would be prevented from entering Benue, after his planned visit to internally displaced persons’ camps in the state was stopped in April, 2025.

It was learnt that Obi and his entourage arrived in Makurdi, the state capital, on Tuesday morning but were reportedly stopped by the youths who blocked his convoy along the Gboko road, near the Nigerian Air Force Base.

Witnesses said the former governor of Anambra State’s convoy was halted by the stick-wielding youth along the road while he was trying to get into Makurdi town after landing at the airport.

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A witness, Denen Terkaa, said some of the young men threw stones at the convoy while others spread across the roads to hinder Obi’s movement.

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone in Makurdi, the Benue South Zonal Chairman of the NDC, Abu Suleiman, who was part of Obi’s entourage, confirmed the development.

He said, “I was in the entourage. The youths barricaded the road from the airport axis. He (Obi) opted to talk to them, but they refused. After waiting for over an hour, he turned back and flew to Jos (Plateau State).”

He described the development as “worrisome and barbaric.”

He said: “I can’t just understand why they won’t let Obi visit the suffering villagers who have suffered several attacks by armed invaders. This is the second time he would be prevented from entering Benue.”

Also, a resident of Makurdi, Adoor John, claimed that he had got wind of an emergency meeting held by some youths on Monday night to mobilise their counterparts from across the 23 local government areas of the state.

John alleged that the meeting might have connections with the visit of the NDC presidential candidate.

A group of youths blocking the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his team from entering Benue State yesterday.

Reason for the blockade unknown – Police

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, said operatives provided security for Obi and the command was aware of the incident. He, however, said the reason the convoy was blocked by some youths “is still unknown.”

“We are monitoring the situation and investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further updates will be provided accordingly,” the PPRO added.

The state Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, while addressing journalists later on Tuesday at the command’s headquarters in Makurdi, also confirmed that youths barricaded the roads because they did not want to see a particular high-profile individual.

The CP said, “Yesterday night (Monday), we got information that His Excellency, former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, will be coming, not for campaign but just to visit Yelwata. I said okay, everybody has freedom of movement in Nigeria. So I provided security.

“I also asked the Assistant Commissioner (AC) Operation to personally lead the men, but unfortunately, on his arrival, we heard that the youths blocked the road because they didn’t want to see him. We are going to find out why the youths behaved that way.

“We have tactically managed the situation for now, but we are not letting it go. We must get to the bottom [of the matter] to know why the youths said somebody cannot move. He (Obi) is a very responsible man. He saw that the youths blocked the road and I learned he went back and left.”

Our correspondent reports that Obi had, about two weeks ago, visited Otukpo-Nobi area of the state following an attack on the community where 18 people were killed in June by invaders.

The condolence visit had reportedly attracted a large crowd of supporters, during which Obi sympathised with the affected villagers and donated relief materials.

Recall that in April 2025, Governor Hyacinth Alia, in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, banned unapproved visits by prominent personalities to the state.

The ban came on the heels of Obi’s planned visit to the state to tour some IDPs’ camps.

The governor had explained that he was involved in critical high-level meetings with key stakeholders to address pressing issues affecting the state and cautioned against groups or prominent individuals entering the state without prior clearance, especially where such visits could lead to politically charged gatherings.

“For anyone considering a visit to Benue State without the knowledge or approval of the governor, it is important to reconsider, as their safety and security cannot be assured,” the statement read.

Obi looking for our trouble, says Benue govt

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, said the former Anambra governor should have formally notified the state government of his planned visit to guarantee his safety.

“A high-profile person who has been a former governor of a state is coming into the state. He should have written a letter to the state government. We are supposed to guarantee his safety and protection, but where no letter was written, we could not guarantee his safety.

“This is not the first time he has done this. He is just looking for our trouble. We are peace-loving and hospitable people,” he said.

The commissioner explained that there was supposed to be a meeting of youths from the 23 LGAs of the state, saying, “if they were coming from either Tarka, Gboko, Buruku, Ushongo, Konshisha or Vandeikya at the same time of his visit and blocked the road, it is unfortunate. I do not know the youths who did that.”

Benue State Commissioner for Information, Solomon Iorpev

‘Rascality totally unacceptable’

Obi, who addressed his supporters before departing to Jos after the obstruction, said he was not in Benue to campaign, but to condole with villagers affected by attacks.

He said, “I’m in the state to visit where people have been killed. Over 200 people lost their lives. So I decided to come and condole with them and now youths led by a Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor have decided to block the road and make sure that I don’t go there.

“I have been standing here for a while now, thinking they would come to their senses, but it is not happening. We cannot have a country like this. It doesn’t make sense to me. The rascality they are bringing into this country is totally unacceptable. We must have a country where people can live in peace and security.

“People are being killed every day in Benue. People want to show their solidarity and comfort. People want to condole with them. People want to show that they are with them. I came here all the way this morning, a long distance from here, only to be told what you are seeing here. We cannot build a nation like this.

“I am calling on Nigerians that they must come out and decide how we can build this country. This country belongs to all of us. These youths that are being used to do this, what they are doing now will take its revenge on them. They don’t know this.

“And unfortunately, somebody sits in the office and allows this to happen. I have been a governor. Go and ask anybody in Anambra State; this wouldn’t have happened. We don’t need this. These people are hungry. These people are insecure. These are people that we need to pull out of poverty by giving them the opportunity of a livelihood, and that is one of the reasons why I came here. Unfortunately, you can see what is happening.”

The NDC presidential candidate, however, promised to return to Benue if the need arises.

Also, the governorship candidate of the party in Benue State, Prof. Terhemba Shija, who was with Obi, condemned the incident and commended Obi for his calm disposition.

Shija said Obi’s handling of the situation showed he was ready to take the country forward, lamenting that peace had eluded several parts of Benue State for a long time.

He recalled that when Obi contested for the presidency in 2023, he was marginally defeated by about 2,000 votes “despite rigging.”

“At that time, many of us were not with him. Most of the politicians in Benue State have now seen the light. We have teamed up behind Peter Obi. There is no way a group in the minority is going to defeat us. Now that we have seen how they want to approach it, we want to assure them that we are ready for them.

“We are going to launch our campaign in a week’s time, and nobody will stop us. This is our state. This state has suffered a lot. The government has normalised this suffering. Over one million people are in IDP camps.

“There are a lot of ungoverned spaces in this state. In many places you go in Benue, there are no schools, no markets and no social activities. You can’t go to Guma or Sankera when you are bereaved because it is insecure. This is somebody who has shown promise that he can do things differently and Nigerians will smile. We will stand by him. We will go according to his values, and we will take this state for him and for the rest of Nigeria,” Shija added.

The Peter Obi Media Office has explained how “hired thugs” stopped the NDC presidential candidate from visiting Benue State on Tuesday.

According to members of the NDC delegation, Obi’s entourage was confronted by a mob carrying sticks, clubs and stones, chanting, “Peter Obi, go back.”

In a statement signed by Idris Zekeri Jnr, the media team reported that the group—allegedly led by an aide to the state governor – blocked Obi’s movement into a village where hundreds of people recently lost their lives.

Despite a police presence in the area, the crowd breached security perimeters, forcing Obi’s convoy to make a U-turn to avoid further escalation.

Also, the NDC, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, described the incident as “shameful” and “deeply troubling,” arguing that Obi’s visit was intended to allow him to mourn with families who lost loved ones, offer solidarity to affected residents and hear directly from victims about measures needed to prevent future tragedies.

Some of the protesters along the road yesterday

Tinubu must caution govs – Kwankwaso

Obi’s running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, also condemned the blockade, urging President Bola Tinubu to caution state governors against actions that could undermine democracy.

Kwankwaso, in a statement on his official X handle on Tuesday, described the incident as a disturbing development and called on the Benue State Government to identify and prosecute those responsible.

“I am deeply disturbed by the attack on the convoy of our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as he travelled to Benue State. The deliberate mobilisation of unruly elements to block and attack his convoy and prevent him from entering Makurdi marks another dark day for our democracy,” he said.

The former Kano State governor said the Constitution guarantees every citizen freedom of movement, arguing that the right should apply to Obi as a former governor and leading opposition figure.

He urged the state government to ensure those responsible were “swiftly identified and prosecuted”, while also calling for adequate protection for Obi and his entourage.

“I further urge the president to caution state governors, particularly those in his party, against any actions that could undermine the sanctity of our democracy,” he added.

Kwankwaso also called on the international community, diplomatic missions and election observation groups to take note of the incident and urge Nigerian authorities to uphold the rule of law and protect opposition leaders.

Why stopping Obi may have political undertone

Though the Benue State government has dismissed allusions to a political undertone in what transpired in Benue on Tuesday, most observers say it is difficult to rule out politics entirely.

Obi, according to insiders, is seen as the biggest threat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Benue due to the high number of votes he polled in the state in the 2023 presidential elections.

Our correspondent recalls that in the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu scored 310,468 votes but was closely followed by Peter Obi, then of the Labour Party (LP), with 308,099 votes, a margin of just over 2,000 votes.

APC supporters, according to feelers, are of the opinion that allowing the NDC presidential candidate to constantly visit the state is an indirect way of letting him consolidate his grip and even enlarge the magnitude of his support base in the state.

Though the 2023 elections were held when Benue was under the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration of Samuel Ortom, the ability of Obi to beat the then PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who came third, was seen as an indication of wide acceptance.

Delivering Benue for Tinubu is said to be very important to Governor Alia, who has been having a running battle with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, over ownership of the political structures in the state.

It is believed in political circles that Akume determines the political swing in the state, having assisted three persons, including Alia, to become governors.

A political watcher in Benue State who does not want to be named said since Akume is known to be close to Tinubu, there is a push to convince the President that Alia could equally deliver the state for him.

Some believe that since the governorship election is coming after the presidential poll, the only way Alia can guarantee Tinubu’s support is to ensure that he delivers Benue to the APC presidential candidate. Obi’s popularity in the state is seen as a threat; hence the cold shoulder.

CSOs warn against intimidating opposition

Comrade Debo Adeniran of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) said Obi has the constitutional right to move freely, associate with supporters, assemble peacefully and express his political views and urged political actors and authorities to avoid actions that could undermine those rights.

Adeniran said the authorities should distinguish between notifying security agencies for proper planning and seeking permission to exercise a political right.

He, however, said large political gatherings could affect traffic and the activities of other citizens, making prior notification important for security and traffic management.

“If Obi wants to enjoy freedom of peaceful assembly, the law enforcement agencies need to inform citizens of the routes that Obi will take that would disrupt the free flow of traffic and also send traffic managers to places where his convoy is likely to occupy,” he said.

Adeniran said such arrangements should not be interpreted as requiring a candidate to obtain permission from the government before exercising his political rights.

The Chairman of the Gombe Network of Civil Society Organisations and General Secretary of the Northern Conference of Civil Society, Ibrahim Yusuf, berated the blockade, warning that such actions could worsen political tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.

Yusuf said both the opposition and authorities had responsibilities in preventing such incidents, stressing that opposition politicians should comply with necessary security arrangements while government agencies should not use notification requirements as a basis for intimidation or obstruction.

“We all know the gravity of the ruling party and the fact that they want to make sure that they retain and also win the 2027 elections. So the opposition should not give them any room to intimidate them. I will advise the opposition to make sure that they follow the rules of engagement accordingly to block any unforeseen circumstances,” he added.

Yusuf also cautioned the ruling party and state authorities against actions that could be perceived as political intimidation, saying such conduct could further anger citizens already dissatisfied with the government.

He said authorities should distinguish between notification and permission, arguing that a presidential candidate does not require approval from security agencies to campaign.