Benue Visit: Commissioner Accuses Peter Obi of Ignoring Protocol, Says Former Governor Is “Courting Trouble”

The Benue State Commissioner for Information, Solomon Iorpev, has accused former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, of repeatedly failing to follow what he described as established protocol when visiting the state.

Iorpev made the allegation while reacting to Tuesday’s incident in which some youths reportedly blocked Obi’s convoy during his visit to Benue.

According to the commissioner, Obi, given his status as a former governor and a high profile political figure, ought to have formally notified the Benue State Government ahead of his visit.

He argued that such notification would have enabled the state authorities to make adequate security arrangements for the former governor.

“A high profile person who has been a former governor of a state is coming into the state; he should have written a letter to the State Government,” Iorpev said.

The commissioner maintained that the state government has a responsibility to provide security and protection for prominent visitors, but claimed that the absence of an official communication from Obi’s team made it difficult for the government to properly coordinate security arrangements.

“We are supposed to guarantee his safety and protection, but in an instance where no letter was written, we could not guarantee his safety,” he said.

Iorpev further alleged that Tuesday’s incident was not an isolated case, claiming that Obi had previously visited Benue without formally notifying the state government.

“This is not the first time he is doing this. He is just looking for our trouble. We are peace loving and hospitable people,” the commissioner stated.

Commissioner Distances Government From Youths

While explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident, however, Iorpev said he could not identify the youths who blocked Obi’s movement and did not claim that they acted on the instruction of the state government.

He suggested that Obi’s arrival may have coincided with a separate gathering involving youths from the state’s 23 local government areas.

According to him, representatives from different parts of Benue were converging for a youth meeting at about the same period Obi was travelling through the state.

The commissioner listed areas including Tarka, Gboko, Buruku, Ushongo, Konshisha and Vandeikya, noting that youths travelling from those areas could have contributed to the road obstruction.

“So, if they were coming from either Tarka, Gboko, Buruku, Ushongo, Konshisha or Vandeikya at the same time of his visit and blocked the road, it is unfortunate. I do not know the youths who did that,” he said.

The incident has nevertheless generated political controversy, coming amid increasing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections and growing attention surrounding Obi’s political movements across the country.

Security, Protocol and Political Freedom

The disagreement also raises broader questions about the balance between security protocol and the right of political actors to travel, campaign and engage with citizens across Nigeria.

While state authorities may require advance notification to facilitate security arrangements for high profile visitors, political opponents and civil society actors may equally question whether the absence of such notification can justify the obstruction of a presidential candidate or former governor.

The Benue government’s position, as expressed by the commissioner, is that Obi’s failure to formally notify the authorities complicated its ability to guarantee his security.

However, Iorpev’s statement also makes clear that he did not establish who organised the youths who blocked Obi’s convoy, nor did he provide evidence linking the incident directly to the state government.

The controversy is therefore likely to persist as both sides offer competing interpretations of the circumstances surrounding Obi’s movement in Benue.

For now, the Benue government says it remains committed to maintaining peace and hospitality in the state, while the circumstances surrounding the obstruction of Obi’s convoy remain a subject of political debate.