The National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for a non-violent campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used as tools by the ruling elite responsible for the poor economic conditions they currently face.
Obi made the call while addressing journalists in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, shortly after youths suspected to be loyalists of a political party mounted a roadblock on the two-lane Makurdi-Gboko federal highway, preventing him from travelling to Yelewata, where he was scheduled to meet and commiserate with victims of the June 2025 attacks.
The NDC presidential candidate arrived at the Makurdi Airport, located within the Tactical Air Command, at about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday. He was received by the NDC governorship candidate, Professor Terhemba Shija, alongside other party officials, amid jubilation and cultural dance performances.
However, trouble started a few metres from the airport when Obi’s convoy encountered a complete blockade on the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway mounted by youths who appeared to be angry and hostile to his presence.
The blockade caused significant traffic congestion, as the highway was effectively closed to motorists and other road users, while the police reportedly did little to disperse the youths.
Reacting to the incident, Obi cautioned young Nigerians against allowing themselves to be used as instruments of violence by the political elite, whom he accused of creating the economic hardship they are now experiencing.
“It is ridiculous. Our experience this morning is very, very worrisome. We arrived Makurdi at 9 a.m., but on our way to the Yelewata community, to console and show solidarity with the families affected by the killings of over 270 persons in that community, and support them in any way I can, only to be blocked by thugs shouting, ‘Peter Obi, go back! Peter Obi, go back!’
“And I was wondering: are we still in Nigeria? Because even with the campaign I have started, I should be able to move around freely. But we didn’t want to go on and cause confusion and possibly endanger the lives of other people, so I decided to remain as civil as possible.
“I am using this occasion to appeal to the security agencies, the Inspector-General of Police and other agencies to please intervene and call the various state governors to order. I was a state governor myself. This rascality cannot be allowed. We are a country, and how can we confront these people on our own if those responsible cannot provide us with security?
“We cannot go on this way. This is unacceptable,” Obi lamented.
The incident follows a similar development last year, when the Benue State Government barred Obi from visiting internally displaced persons in the state without express approval.
