THE presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was on Tuesday prevented from proceeding to Yelwata in Benue State after youths barricaded Gboko Road in Makurdi, the state capital, disrupting traffic and holding back his convoy.
The protesters, who chanted “We don’t want Peter Obi,” blocked the road near the Nigerian Air Force Base and Makurdi Airport for hours as Obi attempted to proceed to Yelwata to visit families of victims of the June 2025 massacre.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident triggered a dispute between Obi’s camp, the Benue State Government and the police over whether the visit was properly communicated and who was responsible for the blockade.
Speaking at the scene in a video posted by News Central Television via its X page on Tuesday, Obi said he had travelled to Benue to condole with victims of killings in the state but was stopped on the orders of a government aide. “I was told that youths, led by an SA (Special Assistant) to the government, have decided to block the road and make sure I don’t go there,” he said.
He described the blockade as unacceptable and accused those behind it of exploiting hungry and insecure youths for political ends.
“The rascality they are bringing into this country is totally unacceptable. People are being killed every day in Benue. People want to show that they are with them, and I came here all the way this morning, a long distance, only to be told what you are seeing here,” he said.
Obi said the protesters had been mobilised without regard for the consequences.
“These youths are being used to do this. What they are doing now will take its revenge on them. They don’t know that. And unfortunately, somebody sits in office and allows this to happen,” he said.
Obi maintained that the blockade should not have occurred, adding that the affected youths were themselves victims of poverty and insecurity who deserved livelihood support rather than being deployed to obstruct his visit.
He said his itinerary had not been concealed from state authorities.
“Everybody is aware I’m visiting this place today. It’s not a secret to them,” he said.
However, the Benue State Government distanced itself from the incident, saying it was not aware of Obi’s visit to the state.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday that the government was not aware of Obi’s coming to Benue and questioned why the presidential candidate was not accompanied by adequate security personnel.
“We are not aware of his coming to the state, and if it were to be security agents that stopped him, it would have been easy for us to find out what happened.
“As presidential candidate of a party and former governor he is a property of federal government and ought to have been given security, where are those security agents around him and if he is going to any state, the security of the host state should know so as to provide security for him.”
Tersoo, who expressed surprise that youths could stop Obi from gaining access to the state, said that no youth was working on behalf of the government and added that Obi was not a threat to the governor.
“We were surprised that youth would stop someone, youth can not do anything on behalf of government. Our government doesn’t patronize thugs and in any case Obi is not a threat to the governor, we are not aware that Obi is coming to Benue. Am hearing it from you,” he said.
Obi was reportedly heading to Yelewata to visit the families of victims of the June 2025 massacre when his convoy was stopped by some youths at Gyado Villa along Gboko Road.
As of the time of filing this report, Obi was said to have returned to Abuja.
The governorship candidate of the NDC in the state, Prof. Terhemba Shija, however, said Obi’s team had officially informed security agencies in the state about the visit.
According to Shija, the purpose of the visit was to enable Obi to meet the families of victims of the Yelewata massacre, insisting that the NDC candidate had a legitimate right to visit the affected communities now that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had lifted the ban on campaigns.
He said, “Is Obi not a presidential candidate, INEC has lifted ban on campaign and we duly informed police and DSS about his visit to the state they deployed police and DSS to be with us.”
When asked if the state government was informed of Obi’s visit, Prof. Shija dismissed the question, stating that the state government should be aware that INEC had lifted the ban on campaigns.
“But government is aware that INEC has lifted ban on campaign, do we need to take permission from candidate?” Professor Shija asked.
The governorship candidate described the incident as “a demonstration of fear, a clear show that Obi is the man to watch”, adding, “he has come just to see families of victims of Yelewata why should somebody stopped a legitimate candidate after he has officially given notice to CP and DSS?”
Meanwhile, the state command confirmed that Obi’s people notified it of his visit to the state.
In a terse statement issued on Tuesday, the command spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the reason youths stopped Obi from gaining access into the state remained unknown.
“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. We are monitoring the situation and investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Further updates will be provided accordingly,” the PPRO said.
The incident has consequently raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the blockade, with Obi alleging that the youths were acting on the instructions of a government aide, the state government denying any knowledge of his visit or involvement in the incident, and the police confirming that it was aware of his movement and had provided security for the convoy.
Reacting to the development, Obi cautioned youths against yielding themselves as instruments of violence by the very elite who created the poor conditions they now suffer.
“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?