Aniefiok Christopher
Amnesty International has faulted blockage of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), from entering Benue State, describing the alleged use of political thugs to obstruct road as a serious concern ahead of the 2027 elections.
The human rights organisation in a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Tuesday alleged that heavily armed youths blocked Gboko Road in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, in what it described as a coordinated action that put Obi’s entourage at risk.
The NDC presidential candidate arrived at the Makurdi airport located at the Tactical Air Command Makurdi as early as 8.00 am on Tuesday, welcomed and received by the NDC governorship candidate, Professor Terhemba Shija, along with party officials amid jubilation and cultural dance performance.
Trouble is said to have started a few meters away from the Benue Airport when his convoy ran into a full roadblock on the two-lane Makurdi-Gboko federal highway by the angry youths.
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The youths suspected to be loyalists of one of the political parties prevented Obi from passing through to Yelewata where he was billed to meet and commiserate with victims of the June 2025 attacks
Amnesty International said the Benue State government has questions to answer over the alleged incident, stressing that Nigerians have the right to travel freely to any part of the country.
The organisation expressed concern over what it described as increasing political repression, intolerance and intimidation of opposition politicians and supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amnesty alleged that the obstruction of Obi’s movement was part of a wider pattern of political harassment, adding that the use of armed vigilante groups or political thugs against rival candidates was unlawful.
It said the alleged incident undermined the principle of a level playing field for political parties and candidates participating in the electoral process.
The body also criticised what it described as the failure of relevant authorities to adequately investigate alleged cases of political violence and bring suspected perpetrators to justice.
The organisation said it had been documenting cases of alleged political repression since last year, including claims involving political meetings, opposition activities and alleged attacks on political actors.
It expressed concern that insufficient action by authorities could encourage further political violence and intimidation as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Obi reacts to the incident
Reacting, Obi called for a non-violent campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, calling on young Nigerians to avoid being used as tools by the ruling class that has created the poor economic conditions they now live in.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, shortly after the incident, 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?
“We cannot go on this way. This is unacceptable,” Obi lamented.
Benue accuses Obi of breaching protocol
However, the Benue State Government has accused the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, of failing to follow established protocol during his visit to the state, following an incident in which some youths reportedly blocked his movement on Tuesday.
The Benue State Commissioner for Information, Solomon Iorpev, said Obi’s failure to formally notify the state government of his visit made it difficult for the authorities to make adequate security arrangements for him.
Reacting to the incident, Iorpev described Obi as a prominent political figure and former governor whose visit, he argued, should ordinarily have been officially communicated to the host government.
“A high-profile person who has been a former governor of a state is coming into the state; he should have written a letter to the State Government,” the commissioner said.
According to him, proper communication would have enabled the Benue State Government to put necessary security arrangements in place and guarantee the safety of the former Anambra State governor.
“We are supposed to guarantee his safety and protection, but in an instance where no letter was written, we could not guarantee his safety,” Iorpev stated.
The commissioner further alleged that this was not the first occasion Obi had visited Benue without formally informing the state authorities, suggesting that such an approach could create unnecessary difficulties.
“This is not the first time he is doing this. He is just looking for our trouble. We are peace loving and hospitable people,” he said.
Iorpev, however, said he had no information about the identities of those responsible for blocking Obi’s movement, stressing that the incident coincided with the gathering and movement of youths from across Benue State’s 23 local government areas.
He explained that the situation may have resulted from the convergence of people travelling from different parts of the state at the same time as Obi’s visit.
“So, if they were coming from either Tarka, Gboko, Buruku, Ushongo, Konshisha or Vandeikya at the same time of his visit and blocked the road, it is unfortunate. I do not know the youths who did that,” the commissioner said.
The incident has drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding Obi’s visit to Benue, with the state government maintaining that formal communication and adherence to protocol are important, particularly when high-profile political figures travel across states.
The Benue Government insisted that the state remains peaceful and welcoming, while maintaining that proper coordination between visiting dignitaries and relevant authorities is necessary to ensure security and avoid situations that could disrupt public order.
