The Benue State Government has said it was not informed ahead of Peter Obi’s reported visit to Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area, describing the development as a breach of the expected security protocol for a presidential candidate.
The state government’s position followed reports that youths allegedly blocked Obi’s convoy on the Makurdi-Gboko road while he was on his way to Yelewata, a community that has witnessed deadly attacks.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, said neither the governor nor the state government was aware of Obi’s planned visit.
According to Tersoo, a visit by a presidential candidate should ordinarily be communicated to relevant security agencies so that appropriate protection can be arranged.
He said the Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security authorities should have been informed before Obi’s movement into the state.
The governor’s spokesman also rejected allegations that the youths who reportedly stopped Obi’s convoy were mobilised by the state government.
Tersoo maintained that Governor Alia does not support the use of thugs as instruments of governance or security, arguing that recognised security agencies would have been deployed if there had been any legitimate security concern involving Obi.
The controversy followed reports that Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), travelled to Yelewata to sympathise with residents affected by previous attacks in the community.
Reports said his convoy encountered youths who barricaded the road and prevented the movement from continuing for some time.
The Benue Government, however, said it had not received any security briefing about Obi’s visit and questioned how such a high-profile political movement could take place without coordination with the state’s security apparatus.
Tersoo also referenced an earlier incident in which Obi had claimed he was prevented from visiting Benue and that gunshots were fired when he eventually arrived. He said the state government had sought security reports to establish what happened during that earlier episode.
The latest disagreement has generated political reactions, with concerns raised about the safety of political actors and the need to prevent intimidation or violence as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 elections.
The Benue Government maintained that any disagreements involving Obi and political actors in the state should be resolved through lawful and political channels rather than being attributed to the state administration without evidence.
Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding the reported road blockade and the identities and motives of the youths involved remain subjects of public debate.
