Benue Govt Challenges Obi’s Convoy Blockade Claim, Says No Official Notice Of Visit

By Opeyemi Adelakun

The Benue State Government has questioned the circumstances surrounding Peter Obi’s reported convoy blockade, saying the state authorities were not officially informed that the NDC presidential candidate was visiting the state.

The development followed Obi’s claim that youths allegedly sponsored by Governor Hyacinth Alia prevented his convoy from reaching communities mourning victims of recent violence.

Obi had travelled to Benue to offer condolences to victims of the killings, with Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area among the communities reportedly affected. More than 200 people were killed in a recent attack in the community.

But the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, Kula Tersoo, said neither the governor nor the state government had been informed about Obi’s planned visit.

According to him, the absence of prior notification raised questions about the security arrangements surrounding the movement of a former governor and presidential candidate.

“Peter Obi is a presidential candidate of a political party and a former two-term governor. He is not a small man in this country. He is supposed to be prepared for and given adequate security,” Tersoo said.

He explained that relevant security agencies should have been involved before the visit.

“If you are visiting a state, the security apparatus of the state is supposed to know. The Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS, Civil Defence and others are supposed to be aware so that they can provide adequate security for you,” he said.

Tersoo also rejected Obi’s allegation that youths linked to Governor Alia were responsible for blocking his convoy.

He said the governor would have relied on lawful security channels if there were any genuine security concerns about the visit rather than using youths to obstruct the politician.

“Governor Alia does not promote thuggery in Benue State. If Obi is a threat to him, or maybe he felt that Obi’s coming would cause a problem for him, the right thing to do is to get legitimate security operatives to do the needful and not to gather youths or send them to go and block him,” he said.

The governor’s spokesman said Alia was not briefed by any security agency about Obi’s reported arrival.

“But the governor is not aware. So you will even doubt if he came to this state at all,” he said.

Tersoo further recalled a previous allegation by Obi concerning an earlier visit to Benue, saying the state government had requested security reports to clarify what happened during that incident.

He said the latest development also warranted questions because properly coordinated security arrangements should ordinarily make it difficult for a group of youths to stop a presidential candidate.

“If those people are aware, they are supposed to make adequate security for him such that the youths cannot even stop him. For the youths to have stopped him, it means there was no adequate security, that is, if at all he came. There is something wrong somewhere,” Tersoo said.

The state government’s position came after Obi publicly condemned the alleged obstruction of his convoy, describing the incident as “totally unacceptable.”