Peter Obi Releases Video of How He Was Attacked in Benue, Makes Strong Vow

• Peter Obi's convoy was stopped by a hostile crowd while trying to visit Yelwata, the Benue community hit by a recent terrorist attack
• Obi said the trip was a humanitarian visit to mourn with affected families, not a political campaign stop
• Ally Moses Paul alleged that armed groups were pre-positioned along the route from the airport to Yelwata

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Makurdi, Benue state - Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 elections, was blocked from reaching the Yelwata community in Benue on Tuesday, September 8, while attempting to pay condolences to families affected by a recent fatal attack in the state.

Obi shared details of the incident in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying his convoy arrived in Benue at about 9 a.m. only to be met by a crowd chanting, "Peter Obi, go back."

The former Anambra governor said he made the trip on humanitarian grounds to show solidarity with victims and their families, stressing that the visit had nothing to do with partisan politics. He described himself as "deeply distressed" by the hostility and said Nigeria ought to be a country where protecting human life comes before political calculations.

Despite being unable to enter Yelwata, Obi said his thoughts and prayers remained with the victims, their families and the wider community.

In his statement, Obi vowed not to back down until the lives of all Nigerians are safeguarded.

He said via X:

"Although we were unable to reach the community today, our thoughts and prayers remain steadfastly with the victims, their families, and the entire Yelwata community.

"We shall continue to work until the primary responsibility of government - the safeguarding of every Nigerian life - is restored. Until then, we cannot truly say we have built the nation our people deserve."

Read Obi’s full statement below, accompanied by videos of the incident:

Obi's ally Paul raises concerns

In the same vein, Moses Paul, a close ally of Obi, corroborated the account of the convoy's arrival and subsequent blockade. Paul claimed that information passed to the team suggested multiple groups had been organised and placed at different points along the road from the airport to Yelwata.

Furthermore, the ex-National Assembly aspirant alleged that the state governor's senior special adviser on youths was involved in coordinating some of these groups, and that certain individuals in the crowd were carrying knives, clubs and firearms. Paul noted that these claims were based on information communicated to the team and were not independently confirmed.

Paul questioned why security agencies allowed a presidential candidate to be turned back while visiting victims of violence, arguing that such freedom of movement is a basic democratic right. He said the incident went beyond Obi or the NDC and raised fundamental questions about the health of Nigeria's democracy.

Benue: Call for justice in Yelwata

Paul said what the people of Yelwata truly needed was security, justice, compensation and rehabilitation, not political manoeuvring.

He argued that the events of Tuesday, September 8, exposed the urgent need for a political environment where candidates can move freely, citizens can associate without fear, and security agencies serve all Nigerians without bias.

Read Paul’s full account on X of the incident involving Obi below:

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Kwankwaso condemns blockade of Obi's convoy

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice presidential candidate of the NDC, condemned the blockade of Obi's convoy during his journey to Benue state.

Kwankwaso, in a social media post, described the incident as a threat to democracy and called on the Benue state government to identify and prosecute those responsible.