Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has expressed frustration after being barred from visiting Benue State, where he planned to visit camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Obi, who also intended to extend similar support to victims of violence in Plateau State, revealed that the Benue State Government denied him access, halting his plans to show solidarity with displaced citizens.
Responding to the incident, Governor Hyacinth Alia explained that the state could not guarantee the safety of any individual or group entering without official clearance from relevant authorities.
Obi said he had scheduled his visit to Plateau on Sunday, April 13, and Benue on Monday, April 14, noting his attempts to reach the governor were unsuccessful.
“I tried repeatedly to contact the Benue state governor directly without success,” he wrote on X.
“I then successfully contacted his ADC, who told me that the governor was in a very important meeting and would call me before midnight on the same day.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get that call until Sunday evening when he sent me a message stating he had not been able to reach his principal since the day I called. I was disturbed by how an ADC would not have been able to reach his principal for 3 days.”
The former presidential candidate said while he was already on his way to Benue, his security team was informed by authorities in the state that they could not assure the safety of any visitors.
“However, because my visit to the governor was just for courtesy and respect, I decided to proceed with my trip to Makurdi,” Obi said.
“Earlier today at 7am, I left Jos, and on reaching Akwanga at about 10am, my security team stopped and stated they received a press statement, purportedly from the Benue State Government, that appeared designed to stop my trip.
“Curiously, while I was still talking with my security team on the issue, the governor’s ADC sent the statement directly to me.
“The letter refers exactly to my itinerary, which I had earlier conveyed to the ADC directly and to the security operatives in Benue through my own security.”
He reiterated that his visit was driven purely by humanitarian motives, aimed at supporting critical areas of development, including health care, education, and the welfare of displaced Nigerians.
The former governor of Anambra said he had remained devoted to initiatives for the common good.
“People may recall how, during the Haiti earthquake, I had to seek permission from then President Goodluck Jonathan to travel and offer support,” he said.
He said his intended engagements in Benue included a visit to a school under construction by the bishop in Gboko, a nursing school, and an IDP camp.