Benue Government Dares NDC to Name and Prove Aide Behind Obi Convoy Blockade
The Benue State Government has challenged the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to publicly name the government aide they have accused of mobilising youths to block Obi’s convoy from accessing the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area, insisting the party must also produce evidence to support the allegation.
The challenge was issued by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula, while appearing on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday. Kula said the state government was fully prepared to allow police to investigate the incident and to see anyone found responsible for the blockade brought to justice, but insisted the accusations levelled against the government thus far lacked the specificity needed to act on. “I challenged them that they should name that aide. They mentioned a particular aide, and we said they should go ahead and mention him. If there’s any evidence, the police commissioner should ensure that the person who directed this is arrested and brought to book. These are easy assignments. They have the ability to do it,” Kula said.
According to Kula, the state government had no prior knowledge of the incident and only became aware of it after images of the confrontation began circulating online. He pushed back firmly against suggestions that Governor Alia himself bore any responsibility for the blockade, arguing that the governor does not promote thuggery in Benue State. He said that if Obi’s visit had genuinely posed a political concern for the governor, the appropriate response would have been to deploy legitimate security operatives rather than mobilise youths to obstruct his movement.
The controversy stems from Obi’s attempted visit to Yelewata, a community that suffered a deadly attack in June 2025 in which reports indicate more than 200 people were killed. Obi and his party have accused the Benue State government of deliberately frustrating his movement to the community after his convoy was blocked by youths on the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway, a claim the state government has repeatedly denied, maintaining that neither Governor Alia nor the state’s security agencies were informed in advance of Obi’s planned visit.
Beyond the immediate controversy, Kula also addressed the broader security situation in Benue State, acknowledging that insecurity remains a serious and difficult challenge, though he stressed the problems the state faces are not unique to Benue and mirror difficulties experienced elsewhere in Nigeria. He said Governor Alia remained committed to reducing insecurity to the barest minimum, describing the state as currently experiencing what he called “relative peace,” while maintaining that the government was not comfortable with the ongoing security challenges and continued working to address them.
As the dispute continues, both sides remain at an impasse, with the NDC maintaining its allegations of state-sponsored obstruction and the Benue State government insisting the party has yet to substantiate its claims with a named individual and supporting evidence. Police in the state have said an investigation into the incident and the motives of those responsible for the blockade remains ongoing.
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