Obi was in Benue on Tuesday as part of his political campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He was also scheduled to visit Yelewata to sympathise with families and communities affected by the deadly attacks of June 2025.
However, his planned visit was disrupted when his convoy encountered a roadblock mounted by youths a few metres from the airport.
The youths reportedly blocked the two-lane Makurdi-Gboko federal highway, bringing traffic to a standstill and preventing vehicles from passing through the route.
The situation created significant congestion as the youths remained on the highway, while police efforts to disperse them were reportedly limited.
Reacting to the development, Obi appealed to young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used as political tools by the ruling class, which he accused of creating the difficult economic conditions facing citizens.
Obi expressed disappointment over the incident, saying his team had arrived in Makurdi at about 9am and was heading to Yelewata to sympathise with families affected by the killings when the convoy was stopped.
“It is ridiculous. Our experience this morning is very very worrisome. We arrived Makurdi at 9 AM, but on our way to the Yelewata community, to console and show solidarity with the family affected by the killings of over 270 persons in that community, and support them in any way I can, only to be blocked by thugs shouting, ‘Peter Obi go back!. Peter Obi go back!’
“And I was wondering: are we still in Nigeria? Because, even the campaign I have started, I should be able to move around freely. But we didn’t want to go on and cause confusion and possibly endanger the lives of other people, so I decided to remain as civil as possible.
“I am using this occasion to appeal to the security agencies, the IG of police, and other agencies, to please intervene and be able to call various state governors to order. I was a state governor myself. This rascality cannot be allowed. We are a country, and can we confront these people on our own if these people cannot provide us with security?
“We can not go on this way. This is unacceptable”, Obi lamented.
Keyamo Joins Calls Against the Blockade
Keyamo has now joined those condemning the disruption of Obi’s movement, stressing that such actions should have no place in Nigeria’s democratic process.
The incident has also renewed concerns about political tolerance, freedom of movement and the role of security agencies during political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi’s visit to Yelewata was intended to allow him to commiserate with victims of the June 2025 attacks and show solidarity with affected families.
The blockade, however, prevented the planned visit from proceeding as scheduled and temporarily disrupted movement along the busy Makurdi-Gboko highway.
