Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege, has demanded an investigation into the blockade of NDC presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, from visiting Yelwata community in Benue State.
Omo-Agege urged the authorities to establish the organiser and the financier, saying the development was new low in Nigeria’s political culture.
He described the incident as a national disgrace, noting that the incident was a test to the country’s commitment to democratic freedoms and respect for human dignity.
According to Omo-Agege, Obi travelled to Yelwata to mourn with residents whose lives had been devastated by violence and to offer solidarity to bereaved families who, he said, had lost more than 270 members of their community.
The development, Omo-Agege said, should not be dismissed as another clash between rival political camps, but treated as a serious test of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic freedoms and respect for human dignity.
“What kind of politics has Nigeria descended into when even mourning the dead requires political permission?” he asked.
He also demanded answers from the security agencies.
“Were security agencies aware of the situation, and if so, what action did they take?” he asked.
Omo-Agege warned that any attempt to bury the incident under partisan politics would send a dangerous message to Nigerians.
“There must be no cover-up, political protection or convenient silence,” he declared.
He said Yelwata’s tragedy should not be appropriated by any political party, stressing that the victims belonged to the entire country.
“Yelwata’s tragedy is not the property of the APC, PDP, Labour Party or NDC. The dead belong to Nigeria, and their families belong to all of us,” he said.
Omo-Agege further argued that even if Obi had travelled to Yelwata to campaign, his constitutional rights to freedom of movement and association should still be protected.
But, he stressed, the purpose of the reported visit was to mourn.
“No one should need a party card to mourn with the bereaved,” he said.
The NDC candidate warned that normalising political intimidation could have consequences far beyond the present controversy.
“Today, it is Peter Obi being prevented from visiting grieving Nigerians. Tomorrow, it could be another political leader, another community or another group of victims,” he said.
He called for those responsible for the alleged obstruction to be identified and held accountable, arguing that political power must never determine who is permitted to visit communities devastated by violence.
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, Omo-Agege urged political actors to draw a line between legitimate political competition and conduct that undermines basic democratic freedoms.
“Politics will come and go. Elections will come and go. Politicians will come and go. But the dead will remain dead, and the families left behind will continue to live with their pain,” he said.
He expressed solidarity with the victims, survivors and grieving families of Yelwata and condemned what he described as the use of thuggery, intimidation and political influence to frustrate a peaceful act of condolence.
For Omo-Agege, the issue is ultimately larger than one politician or one political party: Nigeria must decide whether partisan politics will be allowed to dictate who can mourn with victims of violence.
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