‘I Was In Benue To Condole With Attack Victims, Not Campaign’ — Peter Obi.

 

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Development Party (NNDP), Peter Obi, has reacted after protesters reportedly blocked his convoy in Benue State on Tuesday, September 8.

Obi and members of his entourage had arrived in the state capital and were reportedly travelling along Boko Road, near the Air Force Base, when a crowd intercepted the convoy.

A video circulating on social media showed protesters occupying the road and chanting, “We nor want Obi,” while armed security personnel were seen in the vicinity.

Speaking to journalists after the incident, Obi dismissed suggestions that his visit to Benue was politically motivated.

The former Anambra State governor said he had travelled to the state on a humanitarian visit to sympathise with communities affected by a recent attack and condole with families who lost loved ones.

“All I can say is that we have no other country except this one, and we will all build it based on unity, love, and a shared sense of doing the right thing,” Obi said.

“Today, I am in Benue, not for a campaign. I only wanted to go to a place where people lost their lives, condole with them, and show solidarity with them.”

Obi expressed concern over what he described as the deterioration of political discourse in Nigeria.

“You can see the level to which our politics has degenerated,” he said.

He recalled that he had attended the launch of the APM’s office alongside its presidential candidate the previous day, where he appealed for a more peaceful political environment ahead of the 2027 elections.

“That was why yesterday, I joined the APM family together with their presidential candidate in launching its office, and I used that to plead with people: let our next politics be a politics of unity, of love, justice, and a shared sense of being safe,” Obi said.

The reported incident has generated reactions online amid increasing political activity and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.