The Benue State Government has defended its decision to distance itself from the blockade of Peter Obi’s convoy, saying the presidential candidate’s visit to the state was not officially communicated to Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Commissioner for Information and Culture, Solomon Lorpev, made the clarification on Wednesday while discussing the incident on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, travelled to Benue on Tuesday, September 8, with plans to visit Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area, where he was expected to meet families affected by the deadly June 2025 attack.
His convoy was stopped by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko road, forcing the former Anambra State governor to abandon the planned trip and return to Abuja.
The incident has since generated competing claims over who was responsible and whether adequate authorities were notified ahead of the visit.
The Benue Government maintains that it neither authorised nor organised the blockade and says its lack of prior knowledge of Obi’s movement created a security concern.
Lorpev argued that Obi, given his status as a former governor and presidential candidate, should have formally communicated his movement to the host state’s authorities.
According to the commissioner, such notification would enable the state to coordinate security arrangements around a high-profile visitor.
The government has therefore rejected allegations that it deliberately mobilised youths to prevent Obi from entering parts of the state.
Lorpev also challenged anyone alleging that state officials participated in the roadblock to provide evidence supporting the claim.
The administration’s position can be summarised as follows:
- Governor Alia was allegedly not officially informed about Obi’s visit.
- The state government denies deploying youths to obstruct the presidential candidate.
- Officials say security coordination is necessary when high-profile political figures visit the state.
- The government says it is investigating what happened.
- Authorities have not established who organised the youths involved in the blockade.
The dispute over notification has become one of the central issues in the aftermath of the confrontation.
The controversy is complicated by the fact that the police command says it was aware of Obi’s planned movement.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed that officers were deployed to provide security for the presidential candidate during the journey towards Yelewata.
This creates an important distinction between notifying the state government and notifying security agencies.
Obi’s NDC team has also maintained that the relevant security authorities were informed about the visit.
The party’s Benue governorship candidate, Terhemba Shija, said the police and Department of State Services were aware of the planned movement and provided security personnel.
The police have not, however, publicly identified the people responsible for the roadblock or established their political affiliation.
That investigation remains significant because allegations linking the youths to political actors have emerged from different sides of the dispute.
Until the investigation produces evidence, claims that a particular political group organised the blockade remain allegations rather than established facts.
Obi’s planned destination has added further political and emotional weight to the controversy.
The former Anambra governor was travelling towards Yelewata to meet residents and families affected by the June 2025 violence in the community.
The visit was presented by Obi’s team as an opportunity to sympathise with victims and offer support.
Reports said youths blocked the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway near the airport, chanting against Obi and preventing his convoy from proceeding.
The confrontation caused traffic disruption on the road and ultimately forced Obi to turn back.
The incident has attracted reactions from political figures and commentators who have questioned whether political disagreements are becoming increasingly confrontational ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also raises concerns about the ability of political candidates to travel freely across states during an increasingly competitive electoral cycle.
The Benue Government has maintained that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Lorpev said the administration would make its position clearer once investigators establish what actually happened.
This could help resolve several unanswered questions, including:
- Who organised the youths who blocked the road?
- Why was Obi’s convoy targeted?
- Were the youths acting independently or on behalf of a political group?
- Which authorities were formally notified about the visit?
- Why did existing security personnel fail to prevent the obstruction?
Answers to those questions will be important in determining whether the incident was a spontaneous confrontation, a political mobilisation, a security failure or something else.
The government has also rejected suggestions that Governor Alia viewed Obi as a political or security threat.
The confrontation has moved beyond a disagreement over one political visit and into a broader debate about political access, security coordination and freedom of movement ahead of the 2027 elections.
The government argues that advance notification is necessary to protect prominent visitors and coordinate security.
Obi’s camp, meanwhile, maintains that notification to security agencies was sufficient and that a political candidate does not require permission from a state government to travel within Nigeria.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of movement, while security agencies have responsibilities to protect individuals facing identifiable risks. The practical question in this case is therefore not simply whether Obi could visit Benue, but whether the relevant authorities received adequate information to protect him.
The police investigation will be crucial in separating those issues from the competing political narratives.
For now, the Benue Government continues to deny responsibility for the blockade, while Obi’s supporters are demanding accountability for an incident that prevented the NDC candidate from reaching Yelewata.
As political activity builds towards 2027, how authorities handle similar confrontations could become an important test of Nigeria’s commitment to peaceful and open electoral competition.
