Alia: Benue Govt Was Not Informed About Peter Obi’s Visit
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Grace Chidimma Ibe
Makurdi, Benue State- Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has said his administration was not informed ahead of the planned visit of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to the state.
The governor’s position was conveyed on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, who said the state government only became aware of Obi’s planned visit through media reports.
“We are not aware that Obi is coming to Benue. I am hearing it from you,” Tersoo told reporters.
According to the governor’s spokesperson, the state government’s position was based primarily on security and protocol considerations surrounding visits by high-profile political figures.
Tersoo described Obi, a former two-term governor of Anambra State and former presidential candidate, as “a property of the federal government” who should ordinarily have security protection provided for him.
He added that the state’s security architecture should have been informed ahead of the visit to enable the authorities to make appropriate arrangements.
The statement followed reports that Obi’s convoy was stopped by youths along Gboko Road in Makurdi while he was reportedly travelling to Yelewata to commiserate with families affected by the deadly attack in the community in June 2025.
The circumstances surrounding the incident have generated competing claims, with Obi’s team maintaining that relevant security agencies were notified ahead of the visit.
The Benue State Government, however, denied involvement in the reported obstruction.
Tersoo said the administration did not “patronize thugs” and rejected suggestions that the youths who allegedly blocked the convoy were acting on behalf of the governor or the state government.
The development has also revived attention to the governor’s earlier position on unscheduled visits to sensitive locations in the state, particularly Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Alia had previously warned that the government could not guarantee the safety and security of individuals undertaking such visits without prior notification.
The governor had also directed groups intending to visit IDP camps to obtain written clearance from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA).
In a television interview, Alia explained that, as governor, he had a responsibility to remain informed about high-profile visits to the state because of the security implications involved.
He said he bears “the brunt and pain of the people in my state” and therefore needs to know when prominent individuals are coming into the state so that the necessary security arrangements can be made.
Obi’s reported visit was understood to be connected to the June 2025 attack in Yelewata, where scores of people were killed and several others displaced.
The former Anambra governor has continued to engage with communities and victims affected by violent incidents across the country as part of his political and humanitarian activities.
Following the reported incident on Tuesday, Obi was said to have returned to neighbouring Plateau State.
The controversy comes as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Obi and other opposition figures expected to embark on consultations and engagements across various parts of the country.
While the Benue Government maintains that it was not notified of Obi’s visit, his team insists that security agencies had been informed beforehand.
As of press time, there was no indication that either side had released further documentation publicly to resolve the conflicting accounts over the notification of the visit.
