Persons suspected to be thugs have blocked the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in Benue state.
The convoy of the presidential candidate of NDC was said to have been blocked by a mob wielding sticks at Gboko road while he was attempting to enter the state.
In a series of videos shared on X on Tuesday by Obi’s photographer, Esther Umoh, the mob is seen chasing after the convoy of the former governor of Anambra state in the north-central state.
“This is Gboko Road; the entire road is blocked. We just touched down, and this is the only road from the airport into town. They said Peter Obi is not coming into the town to see the people he wanted to see. This is not acceptable. We should be able to do politics without going this low,” said Umoh.
Also speaking, chief press secretary to Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula said he was unaware of the incident.
He stated that the state government is neither aware of Obi’s visit nor does it patronise thuggery.
“We are not aware whether he is in the state or not. If the Benue state government is to stop anybody, including Peter Obi, why would the Benue state government go and use thugs? Benue government doesn’t do that. I think it is just one of the lies they are trying to bring upon my principal,” Kula said.
Speaking with reporters after the incident, Obi said he was in Benue to console victims of insecurity.
“I am in Benue not for a campaign. I only wanted to go to a place where people lost their lives and console them, show solidarity with them. But you can see the level at which our politics has degenerated,” Obi said.
He said his decision to attend the launch of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential campaign office on Monday in Abuja was part of his commitment to peaceful political engagements.
“We have no other country except this place, and we will build it on unity and love with a sense of doing the right thing,” Obi said.
