Tension has continued to trail the disruption of the convoy of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Benue State, with the police confirming the arrest of 46 suspects over the incident.

The suspects were arrested after Obi’s convoy was blocked by angry youths along the Makurdi-Gboko Federal Highway on Tuesday during the former Anambra State governor’s visit to the state.

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Recall that Obi had travelled to Benue as part of his political campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election and was also scheduled to visit Yelewata to commiserate with families and residents affected by the deadly June 2025 attacks in the community.

According to reports, trouble began a few metres away from the airport when Obi’s convoy encountered a large group of youths who had completely blocked the two-lane federal highway.

The blockade reportedly brought traffic to a standstill, with the road temporarily closed to other users.

The youths were said to have shouted “Peter Obi, go back!” as they prevented the convoy from proceeding towards Yelewata.

The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, who addressed journalists in Makurdi, confirmed that 46 suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Nwadiogbu said investigations were still ongoing, adding that the police were also trailing some key leaders believed to be connected to the confrontation.

He warned that the Benue State Police Command would not tolerate political intolerance or any act capable of threatening peace and security as the country moves towards the 2027 general elections.

Obi Condemns Incident

Reacting to the incident, Obi condemned the blockade, describing the development as worrying and unacceptable.

The NDC candidate said he arrived in Makurdi at about 9am and was on his way to Yelewata to console families affected by the killings when his convoy was stopped.

Obi said he was particularly concerned that he was prevented from visiting a community where more than 270 people were reportedly killed during the 2025 attacks.

He questioned whether Nigerians were still living in a country where political candidates could move freely during campaign activities.

According to him, he decided not to confront the youths because doing so could have escalated the situation and endangered the lives of other people.

Obi also appealed to security agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant authorities, to intervene and ensure that political actors are protected during their campaigns.

He further called on state governors to ensure that political activities are conducted peacefully, stressing that what happened in Benue should not be allowed to become normal in Nigeria’s democracy.

The former governor also urged young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used as instruments by political interests, particularly by those responsible for the difficult economic conditions facing citizens.

Keyamo Condemns Blockade, Criticises Media Coverage

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also condemned the obstruction of Obi’s movement, saying preventing a political candidate from accessing a location should not be tolerated in a democracy.

Keyamo noted that regardless of the reason behind the incident, whether it was allegedly caused by internal disagreements within the NDC, as suggested by the Benue State Government, or was linked to supporters of another political party, such conduct was unacceptable.

He also rejected arguments that Obi should not have attempted to visit Yelewata because the 2025 killings occurred more than a year ago or because the visit could have been politically motivated.

According to Keyamo, every political candidate should be allowed to move around freely and conduct political activities without intimidation or crude interference.

However, the minister used the incident to criticise what he described as partisan reporting by sections of the media.

Keyamo argued that similar confrontations involving candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were sometimes described by the media as evidence of public “rejection”, while incidents involving opposition politicians were labelled as attacks allegedly carried out by “sponsored thugs” or “hoodlums”.

He said such differences in how political incidents are presented were unfair and urged the media to maintain greater balance in its coverage.

Keyamo also pointed to statements by some opposition politicians who, according to him, have claimed that APC candidates could not visit certain parts of the country without being stoned, beaten or otherwise harassed.

He questioned why such statements were not given the same scrutiny by what he described as partisan sections of the media.

The minister maintained that political disagreements should be settled through elections rather than violence.

He urged Nigerians who are angry with any candidate or political party to express their displeasure at the ballot box by voting against them rather than attacking or obstructing them during campaigns.

Benue Government Denies Involvement

The Benue State Government has denied any involvement in the incident and rejected allegations that Governor Hyacinth Alia or his administration sponsored youths to block Obi’s convoy.

In a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the state government described Obi’s allegation as unfounded.

The government said it had no knowledge of what Obi was referring to and suggested that the incident could have resulted from internal political disagreements within the NDC.

It also questioned whether Obi actually visited Makurdi on Tuesday, while accusing him of having a history of making statements the state government considers untrue about Benue.

The government maintained that Obi was not a threat to Governor Alia and argued that, even if there had been a genuine security concern surrounding his visit, recognised security agencies would have been responsible for handling the matter rather than political thugs.

The Alia administration further insisted that it does not engage, patronise or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security.

With 46 people already arrested and the police continuing their investigation, attention is now focused on identifying the organisers of the blockade and determining the circumstances that led to the confrontation.