The reported obstruction of Peter Obi’s convoy in Benue State is more than just another political confrontation. It raises a disturbing question about the kind of democracy Nigeria is gradually becoming — one where political identity can apparently become enough reason to prevent a politician from reaching citizens in a state.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), was reportedly intercepted on Tuesday along the Gboko Road, near the Air Force Base in Makurdi, shortly after arriving in Benue. Videos circulating online showed a crowd blocking the road and moving towards his convoy. His media aide, Esther Umoh, alleged that the men were sponsored to prevent Obi from proceeding into the state.
The Benue State Government, however, has denied involvement. The governor's Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, said the government was not aware of Obi's visit and insisted that the administration would not use thugs to stop him.
So, what exactly is Obi's crime?
Is it simply that he is not a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress?
That is the troubling question.
Obi reportedly said he was in Benue not primarily for campaign purposes, but to sympathise with victims of insecurity and families affected by the devastating violence in Yelwata and other communities. The June 2025 Yelwata attack was one of the deadliest recent attacks in Benue, with Reuters reporting that about 100 people were killed according to Amnesty International, while thousands were displaced.
The scale of the tragedy is difficult to comprehend. In February 2026, a federal forensic team reportedly exhumed 105 bodies from mass graves in Yelwata as part of investigations into the attack.
These are not merely statistics.
Behind every body was a family. Behind every displaced person was a home. Behind every destroyed farm was a livelihood.
And that is where the irony becomes painful.
Some of the youths allegedly involved in obstructing Obi may themselves be victims of the same harsh realities Nigeria is struggling to overcome. Some may have lost relatives to banditry or communal violence. Some may have ancestral homes that are no longer safe. Others may have family members living in internally displaced persons' camps, dependent on humanitarian assistance for basic necessities.
Yet, somehow, political loyalty can make people defend the very system whose failures have contributed to their suffering.
It is almost like protesting the poor welfare of government workers, only for poorly paid security officers — themselves victims of the same system — to be deployed against the protesters.
That is the tragedy of a deeply broken system.
A government can chain people so effectively that, after a while, they begin to wear their chains like jewellery.
And the symbolism becomes even more striking when Benue's political history is considered.
Governor Hyacinth Alia is a Catholic priest who entered politics and emerged as the APC's governorship candidate in 2022 after being suspended from public ministry by the Catholic Diocese of Gboko for engaging in partisan politics.
Before politics, Alia was widely known for his charismatic and healing ministry, which helped make him a popular figure in Benue. He eventually transitioned from the pulpit into political leadership and was sworn in as governor in May 2023.
From healing the sick to governing a sick society.
From charismatic ministry to political power.
And now, amid allegations that a convoy was obstructed from reaching communities affected by deadly violence, Nigerians are once again confronted with the uncomfortable reality of how deeply partisan politics has penetrated public life.
To be clear, the allegation that the youths were sponsored by the government or the APC remains disputed. The Benue government has denied involvement, while the state's APC has also rejected responsibility.
But whether the perpetrators were politically sponsored or merely acting on their own, the incident should concern every Nigerian.
No politician should need permission from a ruling party to visit suffering citizens.
No Nigerian should be prevented from entering another part of Nigeria because of his political affiliation.
And no victim of insecurity should become a pawn in a political battle.
Nigeria is bigger than APC, PDP, NDC, Labour Party or any individual politician.
When politics becomes more important than human suffering, something has gone terribly wrong.
**What a country. What a shame.**
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