Kwankwaso reacts as Obi’s convoy in Benue is blocked

Suspected thugs blocked the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on Tuesday, preventing him from entering Benue state.

The vice-presidential candidate of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has condemned the development, describing the incident as a threat to democracy and calling for those responsible to be prosecuted.

Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, was stopped by a group of youths along Gboko Road in Makurdi on Tuesday as he attempted to proceed into the state.

Videos shared by Esther Umoh, Obi’s photographer, showed a crowd blocking the road and moving towards the convoy. Umoh said the road was the main route from the airport into Makurdi and that the group had prevented Obi from reaching people he intended to visit.

Obi said he travelled to Benue to commiserate with victims of insecurity and show solidarity with families affected by recent killings, rather than for a campaign.

“I am in Benue not for a campaign. I only wanted to go to a place where people lost their lives and console them, show solidarity with them. But you can see the level at which our politics has degenerated,” Obi said.

He later alleged that youths mobilised by an aide to Governor Hyacinth Alia were responsible for blocking his convoy.

“I was told that youths, led by an SA to the government, have decided to block the road and make sure I don’t go there,” Obi said, according to a video from the scene.

Kwankwaso condemns incident

Kwankwaso, in a statement on X, described the incident as “another dark day for our democracy.”

“I am deeply disturbed by the attack on the convoy of our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as he travelled to Benue State,” he said.

He accused the authorities of deliberately mobilising “unruly elements” to block and attack Obi’s convoy and prevent him from entering Makurdi.

“The deliberate mobilisation of unruly elements to block and attack his convoy and prevent him from entering Makurdi marks another dark day for our democracy,” Kwankwaso said.

He called on the Benue State Government to ensure that those responsible were identified and prosecuted, while guaranteeing the safety and freedom of movement of Obi and his entourage.

Kwankwaso also urged President Bola Tinubu to caution state governors, particularly those belonging to the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), against actions that could undermine democratic freedoms.

He further called on the international community, diplomatic missions and election observation groups to take note of the incident and press Nigerian authorities to uphold the rule of law and protect opposition politicians.

Benue government denies involvement

Tersoo Kula, chief press secretary to Governor Alia, said the state government was unaware of Obi’s visit and denied that it would use thugs to stop him.

“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,” he told Punch.

“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.”

The latest confrontation comes against the backdrop of an earlier dispute between Obi and the Benue government.

In April 2025, when Obi planned to visit internally displaced persons and health facilities in the state, the Alia administration issued a warning against what it described as an unscheduled visit.

The government said anyone planning to visit Benue without the governor’s knowledge should reconsider, warning that the safety and security of such visitors could not be guaranteed. It also said visits to IDP camps required written permission from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency.

Obi had said at the time that he had attempted to contact Alia and his aides ahead of the visit.