The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has confirmed that his convoy was attacked and stopped in Benue State on Tuesday, saying he had travelled to the state to sympathise with victims of recent violence.
Obi said his visit was not connected to political campaigning but was intended to allow him pay condolences to communities affected by killings and demonstrate solidarity with residents.
“Today, I’m in Benue, not for campaign. I only wanted to go to a place where people lost their lives, and condole them, show solidarity with them,” Obi said while speaking after the incident.
The former Anambra State governor expressed concern over the deteriorating nature of political engagement in Nigeria and called for a more peaceful approach to politics.
“But as you can see, the level in which our politics has deteriorated,” he said.
Obi linked his Benue visit to his broader appeal for unity and peaceful political participation, recalling his appearance at the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) campaign office launch in Abuja on Monday.
“That was why yesterday, I joined the APM family, with the presidential candidate, in launching his office, and used that to plead with people, let our next politics be a politics of unity, a politics of love, justice, and shared sense of being safe,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to put political differences aside and work collectively towards building the country.
“All I can say to you is that we have no other country, we have no other country except this one, and we will all build it based on unity, based on love, and shared sense of doing the right thing,” Obi said.
He added, “Everybody knows what is happening in this country.”
Earlier, reports emerged that Obi’s convoy encountered a group of suspected thugs who allegedly blocked a road near the Air Force Base as the team attempted to proceed into Benue.
Videos shared on social media, including footage posted by Obi’s official campaign photographer, Esther Umoh, appeared to show men holding sticks, clubs and other objects while moving towards the convoy. A number of police officers could also be seen positioned between the men and the vehicles.
The convoy was subsequently shown turning back from the area.
Dr Moses Paul, a member of Obi’s team and the 2025 African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), confirmed the incident to THE WHISTLER.
“Yes, we were attacked and stopped,” Paul said, adding that the team was prevented from reaching the community it had planned to visit.
The identities and motives of those involved in the alleged attack had not been independently established as of the time of filing the report. The police had also yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Obi’s comments came a day after he attended the commissioning of the APM presidential campaign office in Abuja alongside the party’s presidential candidate and other political figures.
At the event, he appealed to political actors to embrace unity, justice and peaceful engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi’s explanation indicates that his trip to Benue was intended as a humanitarian and condolence visit rather than a campaign tour.
The latest incident comes about a year after Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, stopped Obi from entering the state, citing concerns over his ability to guarantee the former governor’s safety.
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