Benue Govt Questions Peter Obi’s Visit, Says Officials Were Unaware He Came to State

The Benue State Government has broken its silence over reports that the convoy of former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was allegedly blocked by youths while attempting to enter Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area.

Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration said it was not aware of Obi’s reported visit to the community, where more than 200 people were reportedly killed in a recent attack.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, disclosed this in a telephone interview, saying neither Governor Alia nor the state government had been informed that Obi was coming to Benue.

‘The Governor Was Not Aware’

Tersoo said a visit by a presidential candidate would ordinarily require coordination with the state’s security agencies so that adequate protection could be arranged.

He argued that Obi, as a former two-term governor and presidential candidate, should be accorded appropriate security whenever he visits a state.

“If you are visiting a state, the security apparatus of the state is supposed to know. The Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS, Civil Defence and others are supposed to be aware so that they can provide adequate security for you,” Tersoo said.

According to him, the governor was not briefed by any security agency about the reported movement.

“But the Governor is not aware. So you will even doubt if he came to this state at all,” he added.

Why Alia Government Says Youths Should Not Have Blocked Obi

The governor’s spokesman also questioned how a presidential candidate could allegedly be stopped by youths if the necessary security arrangements had been made for his movement.

He dismissed suggestions that Governor Alia could have deployed youths to prevent Obi from reaching Yelewata.

Tersoo said the governor did not support political thuggery and maintained that any genuine security concern involving a presidential candidate should be handled by recognised security agencies.

“Governor Alia does not promote thuggery in Benue State,” he said.

He added that if the governor had considered Obi’s visit a threat or believed it could cause problems, the appropriate response would have been to deploy legitimate security personnel rather than youths.

‘There Is Something Wrong Somewhere’

Tersoo said the reported blockade raised questions about the security arrangements surrounding Obi’s alleged visit.

He reasoned that if security agencies had been informed beforehand, sufficient personnel should have been available to prevent a group of youths from interfering with the movement of a presidential candidate.

“For the youths to have stopped him, it means there was no adequate security, that is, if at all he came. There is something wrong somewhere,” he said.

The statement leaves open two separate questions: whether Obi actually visited the area as reported and, if he did, why the state’s security structure was allegedly unaware of the visit.

Alia Government Recalls Earlier Obi Incident

Tersoo also referred to an earlier claim by Obi that he was prevented from visiting Benue and that shooting occurred when he eventually arrived in the state.

According to the governor’s spokesman, the state government had previously sought security reports to establish what happened during that incident.

He said the same concern now applies to the latest report, particularly because a visit by a presidential candidate to a community recently affected by violence would ordinarily require advance security coordination.

Yelewata Remains a Sensitive Political and Security Flashpoint

The reported incident comes against the backdrop of heightened political attention on Benue and renewed concern over security in communities affected by deadly attacks.

Yelewata has previously featured prominently in national discussions over the security crisis in Benue, with political leaders and other public figures visiting affected communities to assess the situation and sympathise with residents.

The incident also comes as Nigeria’s political parties and presidential hopefuls increasingly position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. The Bureau Journal’s 2027 elections guide examines the electoral reforms and voting issues that will shape the coming political contest.

Peter Obi’s political movement has also remained a major part of the opposition conversation, particularly as parties and politicians continue to explore new alliances ahead of 2027.

The wider opposition realignment has included developments involving former political figures and supporters of other presidential contenders. Atiku Abubakar’s economic proposals have, for example, continued to feature in the opposition’s policy debate.

Meanwhile, Atiku’s proposal to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and revive transborder trade remains another area of debate among opposition supporters.

As the political temperature rises, security agencies are likely to face increasing pressure to properly coordinate the movements of major political figures, particularly in communities affected by violence.

For now, the Benue State Government maintains that it had no prior knowledge of Obi’s reported visit and has rejected any suggestion that Governor Alia sponsored youths to obstruct him.

The Bureau Journal will continue to monitor reactions from Peter Obi, his political organisation and security agencies regarding the reported incident.