Peter Obi’s planned visit to Yelewata in Benue State was disrupted after youths reportedly blocked his convoy, prompting condemnation from political groups and rights activists.
Obi’s Convoy Stopped on Way to Yelewata
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had travelled to Benue to visit Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area.
He was scheduled to make personal donations and sympathise with families affected by the June 2025 attack in the community.
According to reports, youths stopped his convoy on the Makurdi-Gboko Road, less than two kilometres from the airport, chanting, “Obi go back, Obi go back.”
Some of the youths were reportedly carrying sticks and throwing stones as security personnel tried to manage the situation.
Obi eventually returned to the airport and left the state.
Obi Calls Incident ‘Very Worrisome’
Speaking before his departure, Obi described the incident as disturbing and questioned why he was prevented from visiting the community.
He said he had gone to Benue to show solidarity with families affected by the killings.
“It is ridiculous and very, very worrisome,” Obi said, adding that he had travelled to “condole and show solidarity to the families affected by last year’s killings.”
He also appealed to security agencies to intervene and ensure political campaigns are conducted peacefully.
Benue Government Denies Knowledge of Visit
The Benue State Government said it was not informed about Obi’s visit.
Commissioner for Information Solomon Iorpev said the state could not guarantee Obi’s safety because no formal notification had been sent to the government.
However, the state police command gave a different account, saying it received information about the visit on Monday night and deployed officers to protect Obi.
NDC Demands Investigation
The NDC condemned the incident and called on the Benue Government and security agencies to identify those responsible.
The party said the visit was intended to support victims and their families and should not have been obstructed.
Rights activist Deji Adeyanju and HURIWA also condemned the incident, with HURIWA describing the action as “lawless, reckless and misdirected.”
