The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Benue State, Terhemba Shija, has accused the state government of plotting to disrupt the planned visit of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The state government, however, dismissed the allegation, describing it as false, baseless and mischievous.
Shija, who addressed journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, said Obi was scheduled to visit the state on Wednesday for a town hall meeting in Makurdi and a humanitarian visit to Yelewata community.
The visit to Yelewata is expected to include a tribute to victims of the June 2025 massacre and a meeting with their bereaved families.
Shija alleged that despite receiving formal notice of the visit, the state government had issued threats aimed at preventing Obi from visiting the community.
He recalled an earlier attempt to stop the former Anambra State governor from visiting Yelewata.
While acknowledging the humanitarian and political dimensions of the visit, the NDC governorship candidate said Obi would lay a wreath at the cenotaph erected in memory of the victims along Lafia Road.
He added that the presidential candidate would meet relatives of the victims but would not visit any government facility or internally displaced persons’ camp.
Shija, however, claimed that the state government was uncomfortable with the visit because of its potential political implications ahead of the 2027 general election.
“The visit of Mr Peter Obi is going to be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere. We are not going to engage in any violence, but it must hold and it must be successful. The Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, will not yield to any blackmail or intimidation,” he said.
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, the Benue State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Solomon Iorpev, denied the allegation, insisting that the government had no plan to interfere with Obi’s visit.
Iorpev described the accusation as an attempt to create the impression that the government would be responsible for any possible disruption of the visit.
“This allegation is false, baseless and mischievous. It is speculation dressed up as fact, and it is meant to prepare the ground for a familiar script to stage a disruption, blame the government, and harvest sympathy. This is political content creation, not truth-telling,” he said.
The commissioner maintained that Benue remained hospitable to visitors, adding that the government had no reason to fear Obi’s visit.
He said Governor Hyacinth Alia was focused on rebuilding the state, restoring security and delivering development projects rather than engaging in political distractions.
Iorpev also cautioned the NDC against turning the memory of the Yelewata massacre into a political campaign, stressing that the tragedy remained sacred to the state.
“We mourn with the families of the victims every day. No one should turn that grief into a political stage, and no one should use a visit meant to console the bereaved as material for a publicity campaign,” he said.
He added that the state government was responsible for the safety of visitors and would take necessary measures to ensure peaceful movement and interactions during the visit.
The commissioner warned that security agencies would deal firmly with anyone attempting to cause disorder or disrupt the peace, irrespective of political affiliation.
The post NDC guber candidate alleges plot to disrupt Obi’s Benue visit; govt denies claim appeared first on Vanguard News.