The Benue State Government has questioned the circumstances surrounding the reported visit of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to the state, saying it was not informed ahead of his movement.
The development follows reports that Obi’s convoy was allegedly blocked by youths while attempting to gain access to Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area, where more than 200 people were reportedly killed in a recent attack.
Speaking to Vanguard on Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, said neither the governor nor the state government had prior knowledge of Obi’s reported visit.
Tersoo argued that given Obi’s status as a presidential candidate and former governor, relevant security agencies should have been notified in advance to ensure adequate protection during his movement.
He questioned how youths could have successfully blocked the convoy if proper security arrangements had been made for the visit.
The governor’s spokesman also rejected allegations that Governor Alia or his administration could have sponsored youths to stop Obi, insisting that the governor does not encourage political thuggery.
According to him, if Obi’s presence was considered a security concern, the appropriate response would have been for legitimate security agencies to manage the situation rather than deploy youths.
Tersoo further disclosed that the governor had not received any briefing from security agencies regarding Obi’s reported visit, raising questions about whether the NDC candidate had officially entered the state.
He recalled that Obi had previously made allegations concerning an incident during an earlier visit to Benue and said the state government had sought security reports to establish what actually happened.
The latest controversy has therefore shifted attention from the alleged blockade itself to the issue of security coordination and whether the appropriate authorities were formally notified of Obi’s movement.
