Suspected sponsored political thugs on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, allegedly blocked and attacked the convoy of the 2027 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, and denying him access into Benue State.
The former governor of Anambra State alleged that youths led by an unnamed Special Adviser to Benue State Governor, blocked the road to prevent him from entering the State capital city.
Obi, who spoke shortly after his convoy was reportedly stopped, said he was on his way to condole with families that lost their loved ones during a recent attack by bandits in the state.
The NDC Presidential candidate specifically said that he was not in Benue State for campaign purposes, but to sympathise with the victims of insecurity and their families.
In the words of Obi; “I am currently in Benue State to express my condolences to the families who lost over 200 members to terrorists attacks in recent times.
“However, I have been informed that youths, led by the Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor, have blocked the road to prevent me from proceeding. I have been here for a while, hoping they will see reason, ” he said.
Obi said the incident underscored the broader challenges confronting Nigerians, particularly poverty and insecurity.
“We cannot continue like this. There are people who are hungry and insecure. These are the same people we must lift out of poverty by creating opportunities for them to earn a livelihood. That is one of the key purposes of my visit,” he said.
The development was first made known by Obi’s media aide, Esther Umoh, who posted a video of the incident showing the alleged roadblock.
According to Umoh, the NDC presidential candidate and his team had just arrived from the airport and were heading into town when they discovered that the road had been blocked to prevent Obi from proceeding.
Umoh, who is the official photographer of Obi’s Campaign Organisation, stated in a post on X that the convoy had just arrived the state when sponsored thugs blocked the Gboko Road close to the Air Force Base and decisively attempted to prevent Obi from gaining access to into the State capital.
Umoh further said; “We have just arrived in Benue State, where alleged sponsored thugs blocked Gboko Road by the Air Force Base, attempting to prevent Peter Obi from gaining access to the state.
“The entire road has been blocked and we have remained at the same location for some time, hoping those involved would reconsider their action.
The Benue State Government was yet to speak on the incident as at the time of this report.
