The Benue State Government has broken its silence after reports emerged that the convoy of former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was allegedly blocked by youths in the state.
Obi was reportedly on his way to Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area on Tuesday, a community that has remained in the spotlight following the deadly attack that claimed the lives of more than 200 people.
But according to the Benue State Government, the visit came as a surprise.
Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, told Vanguard during a telephone interview that neither the governor nor the state government was aware that Obi was coming to Benue.
Tersoo questioned how a presidential candidate and former two-term governor could move into a state without the relevant security agencies being informed ahead of time.
He explained that the Commissioner of Police, DSS, Civil Defence and other security authorities would normally need to know about such a visit so that proper security arrangements could be made.
“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.
The governor’s spokesman also questioned the reported blockage of Obi’s convoy, saying that if the security agencies had been properly informed, adequate protection should have been provided for the former governor.
And then came another major point.
Tersoo dismissed suggestions that Governor Alia could have mobilised youths to stop Obi, insisting that the governor does not encourage thuggery in Benue.
He said if Obi’s visit was considered a threat or likely to cause tension, the appropriate thing would have been for legitimate security agencies to handle the situation rather than youths being allegedly mobilised to block his movement.
According to Tersoo, Governor Alia was not briefed by any security agency about Obi’s reported visit.
“But the governor is not aware. So you will even doubt if he came to this state at all,” he said.
This is not the first time Obi’s movement in Benue has generated controversy. Tersoo also recalled an earlier incident in which Obi claimed he was stopped from visiting the state and that shootings occurred when he eventually arrived.
He said the state government had previously sought security reports to establish what actually happened, adding that similar questions would arise from Tuesday’s incident.
For now, the big question many people in Benue will be asking is simple: Who knew about Peter Obi’s visit, and who exactly stopped his convoy?
The controversy is certainly not over yet.
Benue Vibes will keep following the story as more details emerge.
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