Politics
Benue Roadblock: Obi, Alia and the Political Battle Ahead of 2027
The obstruction of the 2027 presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi’s convoy in Benue State has stirred up political controversy ahead of the 2027 general election.
Interestingly, security operatives have swung into action with as many as 46 people arrested, while the former Anambra State governor has demanded action for more stringent action from security agencies.
On its part the Benue State government, under the leadership of Governor Hyacinth Alia denying any involvement in the ugly incident which has drawn wide condemnation across Nigeria and beyond. However, the Catholic priest turned governor, speaking through his aides has insisted that Obi ought to have followed established protocols.
Recall that Obi was in Benue on Tuesday, September 8, intending to travel to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area, where he planned to meet victims of the deadly attacks that occurred in the community in June 2025.
His convoy, however, was stopped along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway by youths who reportedly barricaded the road and shouted for him to leave which forced Obi to turn back.
The incident has since developed into a political dispute, with Obi’s camp alleging political mobilisation behind the blockade, while the Benue State Government has rejected the accusation and said it had no prior knowledge of his visit.
The police have meanwhile arrested 46 suspects and commenced an investigation into the incident.
Obi: “This Rascality Cannot be Allowed”
Obi said his purpose in travelling to Yelwata was to sympathise with families affected by the killings. According to him, the youths blocked his convoy and repeatedly shouted, “Peter Obi, go back.”
Rather than force his way through, Obi said he chose to withdraw to prevent the confrontation from escalating.
“It is ridiculous. Our experience this morning is very, very worrisome,” Obi added. He also appealed to security agencies to investigate the incident.
He maintained that “This rascality cannot be allowed.” And alleged that the youths were mobilised by a Special Assistant to Gov Alia.
However, that allegation has not been independently established, while the Benue State Government strongly denied it.
Benue Government Denies Involvement
The Alia administration says it neither organised nor sponsored the blockade.
Gov Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said the state government was not aware of Obi’s visit beforehand and rejected claims that government officials mobilised the youths against him.
The government maintained that it does not “engage, patronize, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security.”
It also challenged those making allegations against government officials to produce evidence.
Benue Commissioner for Information and Culture, Solomon Iorpev, offered another key part of the government’s explanation.
He said Obi, as a former governor and presidential candidate, should have formally notified the state government before embarking on such a high-profile visit.
“A high-profile person who has been a former governor of a state is coming into the state; he should have written a letter to the State Government.”
According to Iorpev, the issue was not that Obi was prohibited from entering Benue, but that security arrangements should have been properly coordinated.
The government therefore maintains that Obi should have followed the appropriate notification and security protocols, while denying any connection to the people who blocked his convoy.
Police Arrest 46 Suspects
The police investigation has now become central to the controversy.
Benue State Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu said the police command was informed of Obi’s planned visit at about 5:30pm on Monday, September 7, after which security personnel were deployed.
He said three police escort vehicles led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police were assigned to the movement.
Despite the security arrangements, the convoy encountered the group blocking the road.
The police said they avoided immediate use of force because of the possibility that the confrontation could result in casualties or damage to property.
Following the incident, 46 suspects were arrested, while the Police said efforts were continuing to identify and apprehend other people believed to have been involved.
Nwadiogbu also warned against political intolerance as the 2027 election approaches.
The investigation could ultimately determine whether the blockade was spontaneous, locally organised, politically directed or motivated.
Why the 2025 Dispute Matters
The confrontation is significant because it is not the first major disagreement between Obi and the Alia administration over the former’s activities in Benue.
Recall that in April 2025, Obi planned to visit internally displaced persons in the state following attacks on communities, but the Alia administration warned against what it described as an unscheduled visit, saying visitors to IDP camps were expected to obtain approval through the relevant state authorities.
Gov Alia later defended the position, insisting that the issue was security rather than politics.
“I can never politicise this issue.”
The governor said high-profile visitors should notify the state government because it was responsible for security within the state.
“If you are coming into someone’s state as a very high-profile personality, there are protocols.”
Obi, however, accused the administration of politicising what he described as a simple humanitarian mission.
That disagreement is now part of the background to the latest confrontation.
Benue’s 2023 Presidential Election: Obi Nearly Won
The political significance of Benue State becomes clearer when the 2023 presidential election is examined, as Obi came extremely close to winning the state, nearly beating President Bola Tinubu, who ran under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During that election, President Tinubu, received 310,468 votes, while Obi polled 308,372 votes, the difference being only 2,096 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 130,081 votes.
The narrow margin made Benue one of the most competitive states in the presidential election.
It was also significant because the state’s then-governor, Samuel Ortom, openly supported Obi’s presidential bid.
Ortom was one of the prominent political figures who backed Obi during the 2023 campaign, helping give the Labour Party (LP) candidate considerable political visibility in the state.
Despite that support, Obi narrowly lost Benue to Tinubu.
But the political equation has changed. The Benue Obi is returning to in 2027 is politically different from the one he contested in 2023.
Ortom is no longer governor while his successor, Gov Alia, is an APC governor, creating a different political environment for Obi’s second presidential campaign.
Even more significant is Ortom’s own political realignment.
The former governor who supported Obi in 2023 has now declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Ortom recently acknowledged his previous support for Obi, saying:
“In 2023, I supported Obi.” But he explained that his position had changed after Tinubu assumed office.
He also said: “If you can’t beat them, you join them.”
Ortom subsequently stated that he and his supporters in Benue would work for Tinubu’s re-election.
The development represents a major shift from the political configuration that helped Obi nearly win the state in 2023.
Obi did not lose Benue by a wide margin, he lost by just 2,096 votes which means a relatively small change in voter preference could potentially alter the state’s presidential result in 2027.
But Obi now faces a different political landscape as the current governor is an APC member. In addition, the former governor who openly backed Obi in 2023 is now supporting Tinubu.
Obi is once again trying to build a nationwide coalition around his presidential campaign.
Whether those changes will translate into votes is impossible to know at this stage. But they make Benue a state worth watching closely as the 2027 campaign gathers momentum.
Prominent Figures Condemn the Blockade
The incident has attracted condemnation beyond Obi’s immediate political camp. The NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso described the incident as: “A dark day for our democracy.”
He called for those responsible to be identified and prosecuted.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo also condemned the obstruction.
Keyamo said political disagreements should not result in violence or prevent politicians from moving around the country.
“This should not be part of our democracy.”
He urged Nigerians to express their political preferences at the ballot box rather than through confrontation.
Benue PDP governorship candidate Michael Aondoakaa also condemned the incident, describing it as a “disgraceful assault on democracy” and calling for an investigation.
The Questions Still Unanswered
The competing accounts leave several questions for investigators.
1. Who organised the youths who blocked Obi’s convoy?
2. Were they acting independently or were they mobilised by political actors?
3. Was any government official involved?
4. Why did the group choose to prevent Obi from reaching Yelwata?
5. And why did the confrontation occur despite the presence of police escorts?
For now, the available evidence confirms the blockade, the police response and the arrest of 46 suspects.
It does not establish that Gov Alia ordered or sponsored the incident.
The state government has denied involvement and maintained that Obi should have followed the appropriate protocols.
The police investigation will therefore be critical in determining what happened behind the roadblock.
The 2027 Political Battle
The Benue confrontation comes at a politically sensitive time.
In 2023, Obi nearly defeated Tinubu in the state, losing by only 2,096 votes.
The governor who succeeded Ortom is now an APC governor.
Ortom, who supported Obi in 2023, is now supporting Tinubu.
Obi is back in the presidential race.
And the latest confrontation has placed Benue’s political atmosphere under renewed scrutiny.
The roadblock, therefore, may prove to be more than an isolated incident.
It has exposed the political tensions surrounding Obi’s activities in a state where he came within a few thousand votes of victory three years ago—and where the political alliances that shaped that contest have since changed dramatically.
Whether the incident becomes an isolated confrontation or an early indication of a more intense political battle remains to be seen.
For now, the most important issue is establishing the truth behind the blockade.
Who mobilised the youths, why were they determined to stop Obi, and will the police investigation provide answers before the 2027 campaign enters its decisive phase?
The African Action Congress (AAC) has asked President Bola Tinubu to approve the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party also requested food, drinks and other logistical support for 5,000 participants expected to attend the event from within and outside Nigeria.
The requests were contained in a letter dated October 21, 2026, and addressed to the President at the Presidential Villa. The party proposed November 11, 2026, for the inauguration ceremony.
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In the letter, the AAC said its requests were based on the principles of multiparty democracy, political inclusiveness and equal treatment of political parties.
The party also referred to arrangements reportedly extended to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a similar political engagement, arguing that its request should receive equal consideration.
The AAC said approving the requests would demonstrate the Presidency’s commitment to fairness and equal access to public institutions, regardless of political affiliation.
“We believe that granting this request would demonstrate the Presidency’s commitment to fairness, equal access, and the principle that public institutions must serve all Nigerians without partisan discrimination,” the letter stated.
The party further requested information on the applicable procedures and conditions for approval.
The letter was signed by the AAC National Secretary, Oshiokhue Philip Ikpeminoghena, on behalf of the party.
The proposed inauguration is part of the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has launched investigations into petitions seeking the cancellation of gas distribution licences held by NIPCO Plc in five locations.
This is as the Committee accused the Executive Vice President (Downstream) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Dr Mumuni Dagazu, of money laundering and abuse of office.
The Committee also constituted two sub-committees to conduct preliminary investigations into the petitions, which its Chairman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, described as serious complaints requiring urgent attention.
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The decision was announced on Monday in Abuja at the technical briefing marking the end of Downstream Week 2026.
The Sub-Committee investigating the allegations against Dagazau will be chaired by Aliyu Al-Mustapha, with Amobi Ogah as Deputy Chairman. It has seven days to conduct a preliminary investigation and report its findings to the main Committee.
The Sub-Committee examining the NIPCO petition will be chaired by Peter Aniekwe, while Shehu Dalhatu would serve as Deputy Chairman.
The petition against NIPCO calls for the investigation, suspension and cancellation of gas distribution licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the company for Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states, as well as the Lagos and Lekki Free Trade Zones.
In the second petition, the complainants accused Dagazau of money laundering and abuse of office. The Committee, however, stressed that the allegations had not been established and that the investigation would determine the merits of the complaints.
Addressing journalists at the event, Ugochinyere said the Committee had not reached any conclusion on either matter, assuring all parties of a fair hearing.
“These are allegations, and the Committee has reached no conclusion on them. All parties will be given a full and fair opportunity to be heard,” he said.
He added that the Committee would not ignore complaints touching on the integrity of the downstream petroleum sector and promised that Nigerians would be informed of the outcome of the investigations.
Neither NIPCO Plc nor Dagazau had publicly responded to the petitions as of the time of the briefing.
The investigations formed part of the Committee’s wider review of developments in the downstream petroleum sector during Downstream Week 2026, at which it also passed votes of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, the leadership of the NMDPRA and Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The Committee said reforms in the sector were yielding results but identified pipeline security, reliable crude supply to domestic refineries and a properly regulated import market as areas requiring sustained government attention.
Ugochinyere praised the NMDPRA’s Chief Executive, Rabiu Umar, and the authority’s Executive Directors, saying their work had helped stabilise the sector.
Figures presented at the briefing indicated that “domestic refineries increased their contribution to national petrol supply by more than 75 per cent, with no supply shortfalls recorded and more than 25 days of national sufficiency maintained.”
The committee also cited “the commissioning of the Port Harcourt Petroleum Product Laboratory, the licensing of a petroleum liquid trading exchange and the finalisation of a framework for a national strategic stock of up to 20 days,” adding that, “plans are in place to raise the reserve to 90 days in 2027.”
Despite the progress, Ugochinyere insisted that energy security depended on effective pipeline protection and adequate crude supply to local refineries.
“There is no supply security without pipeline security,” he said, adding that importation should supplement verified shortfalls rather than become a permanent substitute for domestic production.
He also called for strict enforcement of the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation, saying local refineries must have reliable access to feedstock to remain viable.
The Committee disclosed that it had opened an inquiry into alleged underpayment for crude oil by some companies and questioned NNPCL over legacy transactions and refinery rehabilitation.
“We will not accept silence as an answer,” Ugochinyere warned.
The committee further urged the Federal Government to increase funding for pipeline surveillance and ensure timely provision of logistics to operators, arguing that improved security had contributed to the rise in crude oil production.
It expressed confidence that Nigeria could achieve its target of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day with sustained government support.
The committee also said it would continue to pursue amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act to strengthen provisions on crude supply to domestic refineries, licensing and protection of local refining investments, while maintaining a regulated import market.
Ugochinyere said the objective was to balance immediate security of supply with the long-term development of Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity.
“Our goal is balance: security of supply today, and a strong domestic refining industry for tomorrow,” he stressed.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to consider its campaign calendar and preparations for the campaign flag-off in Kaduna.
The meeting, according to an internal memorandum released on Sunday and signed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council, will take place at 2 p.m. at the council’s headquarters, Plot 781, Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, Abuja.
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The notice states that attendance is “strictly by invitation” and restricted to the 134 members of the Presidential Campaign Council listed in the distribution list.
It explains that the meeting will formally commence the council’s collective assignment and provide an opportunity for members to consider and adopt the campaign calendar.
“The meeting will formally commence the collective assignment of the Council and provide an opportunity to consider and adopt the Campaign Calendar,” the memorandum stated.
It added that members would also deliberate on other related matters, including preparations for the campaign flag-off scheduled to take place in Kaduna on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Governors, National Assembly Leaders Listed
The distribution list includes state governors, National Assembly leaders and officials assigned to various campaign directorates.
Among those listed as state coordinators are Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
Others include Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas are also listed among the council’s leadership.
Campaign Directorates
The memorandum identifies officials responsible for coordinating different aspects of the campaign, including media and strategic communications, new media, finance and treasury, fundraising, policy and manifesto development, legal affairs, security and intelligence, data management, and contact and mobilisation.
The Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications lists Mohammed Idris Malagi as Coordinating Director I and Abdulaziz Abdulaziz as Coordinating Secretary I.
Segun Dada and Solomon Arowolo are listed as director and secretary, respectively, of the Directorate of New Media.
Other directorates listed include infrastructure mobilisation and sensitisation, creative sector mobilisation, artisan mobilisation, diaspora mobilisation, women mobilisation, sport sector mobilisation and mobilisation of people living with disabilities.
The document also identifies a Parliamentary Mobilisation Directorate for State Assemblies.
In the memorandum, Uzodimma thanked members for their cooperation and commitment to the assignment.
“Thank you for your usual cooperation and dedication to the success of this important assignment,” he stated.
The meeting is scheduled to hold four days before the campaign flag-off in Kaduna, which the memorandum identifies as a key item for discussion.
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