Benue Govt Denies Knowledge of Peter Obi's Visit, Says No Security Arrangement Was Made for NDC Candidate

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

The Benue State Government has firmly denied having any prior knowledge of the visit of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the state on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. This denial comes after Obi's convoy was blocked by a group of youths along the Gboko Road in Makurdi, preventing him from reaching the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area, where he had planned to condole with families affected by a deadly 2025 attack.

In a telephone interview, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, told Vanguard that neither the governor nor the state government was aware of Obi's reported visit. "Peter Obi is a presidential candidate of a political party and a former two-term governor. He is not a small man in this country. He is supposed to be prepared for and given adequate security," Tersoo said. He added that the state government would have expected security agencies to be notified ahead of such a visit to enable adequate security arrangements. Tersoo also dismissed suggestions that Governor Alia would deploy youths to prevent Obi from visiting the state, insisting that the governor does not promote thuggery. "Governor Alia does not promote thuggery in Benue State. If Obi is a threat to him... the right thing to do is to get legitimate security operatives to do the needful and not to gather youths or send them to go and block him," he said.

However, the NDC governorship candidate in Benue State, Prof. Terhemba Shija, contradicted the government's account. Shija told Daily Post that Obi's visit was specifically aimed at meeting relatives of those killed during the June 2025 attack in Yelewata, and that the appropriate security authorities had been informed ahead of the visit. "Is Obi not a presidential candidate? INEC has lifted the ban on campaigns, and we duly informed police and DSS about his visit to the state. They deployed police and DSS to be with us," Shija said. He questioned why the state government needed to be officially notified when the Independent National Electoral Commission had already lifted the ban on campaigns. The Benue State Police Command also confirmed that Obi's team had notified it of the visit. In a statement, police spokesperson DSP Peter Aondongu said: "We can confirm that the Police are aware of the incident involving Peter Obi's movement to Yelwata. Police operatives provided security for the movement. The reason the convoy was blocked by some youths is still unknown."

Speaking from the scene in a video shared by News Central Television, Obi said he had been told that youths, led by a Special Assistant to the government, had blocked the road to prevent him from proceeding. "I was told that youths, led by an SA to the government, have decided to block the road and make sure I don't go there," Obi said. He described the blockade as unacceptable and accused those behind it of exploiting hungry, insecure youths for political ends. "The rascality they are bringing into this country is totally unacceptable," he said. Obi insisted that his itinerary had not been concealed from state authorities, adding, "Everybody is aware I'm visiting this place today. It's not a secret to them."

The Benue State Commissioner for Information, Solomon Iorpev, offered a different perspective, stating that Obi was "courting trouble" by failing to follow protocol. Iorpev argued that Obi, as a high-profile person and former governor, should have written a letter to the state government to guarantee his safety. "This is not the first time he is doing this. He is just looking for our trouble. We are peace-loving and hospitable people," Iorpev said. He also noted that Obi's visit regrettably coincided with a meeting of youths from the 23 local government areas of the state, which could have contributed to the blockade.

The incident marks the second reported disruption of Obi's visit to Benue State, raising concerns about the safety of political figures and the use of thuggery to stifle political expression as the nation prepares for the 2027 elections. As Obi's team returned to Abuja, the police confirmed that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the blockade were ongoing.

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