BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – Ahead of today’s planned visit by the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, the Benue State Government has denied any plan to disrupt his itinerary, describing claims of the opposition party as false, baseless and mischievous.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Solomon Iorpev, the government has no reason to prevent any Nigerian from visiting the state, including political figures seeking votes.
The government’s reaction comes on the heels of allegations by opposition NDC that the Benue State Government is plotting to disrupt the planned visit of the former Anambra State governor Obi, to the state today, Wednesday, for a town hall meeting in Makurdi.
Also on the NDC flag bearer’s itinerary is a scheduled humanitarian visit to Yelewata, where he will pay tribute to victims of the June 2025 massacre and commiserate with their families.
But in a statement issued yesterday, Tuesday, by the government, Iorpev said: “Benue is a land of hospitality, and every Nigerian is free to move within it, including those who seek our votes. The government has no reason to fear any visitor.”
Cautioning the NDC against using the Yelewata tragedy for political publicity, the government described the memory of the victims as sacred to the state, saying: “We mourn with the families of the victims every day. No one should turn that grief into a political stage, and no one should use a visit meant to console the bereaved as material for a publicity campaign.”
Also, it urged the NDC to ensure that its supporters and associates conducted themselves peacefully, adding: “Let no one be left in doubt, though: security agencies will deal firmly with any criminal-minded person who attempts to cause disorder and disrupt the peace, whoever they work for.” the commissioner said.
The disagreement is against the backdrop of heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections with the NDC directly accusing the Benue State Government of orchestrating a plot to sabotage its presidential candidate’s upcoming visit.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, the NDC’s governorship candidate in the state, Terhemba Shija, called on the state government and security agencies to guarantee the safety of Obi and his supporters.
Alleging that the government had issued threats aimed at preventing the former Anambra State governor from visiting Yelewata, Shija recalled an earlier attempt to stop him from visiting the community, maintaining that the party had notified the state government and security agencies of the planned visit.
While assuring that adequate arrangements were already in place for a hitch-free and successful visit, the gubernatorial standard bearer, said: “Our letter addressed to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Benue, was received on the 10th of November, which is today.
“While we discuss with the security agency, all they require is that we should send them an itinerary of our visit. I’m going to soon embark on the visit of all the local governments. All I have told the DG to do is to write the itinerary, the times that we’ll be here, and then they will follow.”
Shija, who displayed a copy of the correspondence, maintained that NDC did not require permission from the State government to conduct its political activities but had notified the authorities in the interest of a peaceful visit.
He described Obi’s planned trip as both humanitarian and political, saying the presidential candidate would lay a wreath at the cenotaph erected in memory of the victims of the Yelewata massacre along the Lafia Road, explaining that the presidential standard bearer will also meet relatives of the victims but would not visit any government facility or internally displaced persons’ camp.
According to him, the town hall meeting would be held at the multipurpose hall of the Mission House in Makurdi, behind the Benue Links head office in Wurukum.
Further claiming that the State government was unhappy with Obi’s visit because of its potential political implications ahead of the 2027 general elections, Shija also accused the government of being behind an earlier attempt to disrupt the presidential candidate’s visit to Yelewata, claiming that suspected supporters of the slogan, “No Alia, No Benue”, had mobilised to prevent him from accessing the community.
However, the governorship candidate charged Obi’s supporters to remain vigilant and peaceful, insisting that the party would not be deterred by the alleged threats.
“The visit of Mr Peter Obi is going to be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. We are not going to engage in any violence, but it must hold and it must be successful. The NDC will not yield to any blackmail or intimidation,” Shija said.
