By Stephen Simon
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and the Benue State Government have traded blame over the disruption of his planned visit to Yelwata community, with the development raising fresh concerns about political tolerance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi’s convoy was blocked by youths on Tuesday along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway while he was travelling to Yelwata to sympathise with families affected by the deadly attacks in the community.
The former Anambra State governor said the youths mounted a roadblock and repeatedly ordered him to leave, describing the incident as unacceptable and calling on security agencies to intervene.
Obi said he had arrived in Makurdi around 9am and was on his way to Yelwata to express solidarity with families affected by the killings when his convoy was stopped.
He said he chose not to force his way through the blockade to avoid creating further tension or endangering other people, urging young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used as instruments of political violence.
The Benue State Government, however, denied any involvement in the incident, saying it had neither sponsored nor deployed anybody to stop Obi from moving within the state.
The government also accused the NDC presidential candidate of failing to properly notify the state authorities of his visit, arguing that a high-profile political figure was expected to coordinate his movement with the government because of security concerns.
But the state government’s position was complicated by comments from the Benue Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, who confirmed that the police command had been informed about Obi’s movement and had deployed officers to provide security for him.
The police said the reason the youths blocked the convoy remained unclear and that investigations were underway to establish what led to the confrontation.
Minister of Aviation and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo, condemned the incident, saying preventing a political candidate from moving freely should not be part of Nigeria’s democracy.
Keyamo said political disagreements should be expressed through the ballot box rather than through violence or attempts to prevent candidates from accessing communities.
The minister also warned against partisan reporting of political confrontations, saying similar incidents involving candidates of different political parties should be treated by the media with the same standard.
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly concerns over whether opposition candidates will be able to campaign freely across states controlled by rival political parties.
For now, the central question of who organised the blockade remains unresolved. The police investigation is expected to determine the identity and motive of those who mounted the roadblock, while the competing claims by Obi and the Benue State Government continue to fuel the political controversy.
