The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has condemned the obstruction of Peter Obi's convoy during a campaign visit to Benue State on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 9, Makinde's campaign described the incident as "deeply disturbing" and "totally unacceptable," attributing it to what it called state-sponsored thuggery by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Details of the Benue Convoy Blockade
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) and former governor of Anambra State, was in Benue to campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections. His itinerary included a visit to Yelwata, where he planned to meet families affected by the June 2025 attacks in the area. However, his convoy encountered a full roadblock on the two-lane Makurdi-Gboko federal highway, erected by angry youths just a few metres from the airport.
The blockade caused significant traffic congestion, with police doing little to clear the road. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after Obi joined other opposition leaders at the inauguration of the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Office on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Makinde's Campaign Blames APC and Cites Constitution
The statement from Makinde's campaign, issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Anthony Ehilebo, read: "The incident, in which Mr. Obi's convoy was obstructed by a group of suspected state sponsored thugs on his way to Yelwata to visit families affected by the tragic killings in the area, is deeply disturbing, totally unacceptable, and marks a new low in the desperation by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to stifle opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections."
The campaign also pushed back on a position credited to the Benue State Government, which reportedly suggested Obi should have sought prior permission before visiting the state. Makinde's team cited Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian the right to move freely and reside anywhere in the country, as well as Section 40, which protects the right to peaceful assembly and association.
Demand for Police Investigation and Warning
Makinde's statement further said: "Let us make it clear: every Nigerian, whether presidential candidate or not, has a constitutionally guaranteed right to enter, live, and move freely within any state in Nigeria to conduct his or her legitimate activity without any prior permission or notice."
The campaign called on the Nigerian Police to open a full investigation into the incident and prosecute those responsible, warning that such tactics had no place in a democratic system. "We shall not be deterred nor cowed by the antics of those who seek to make peaceful participation impossible," Makinde's team added.
In a related development, Legit.ng previously reported that Prophet Isa El-Buba, a Christian cleric and political mobiliser, formally declared his support for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, ahead of the 2027 general elections. El-Buba said his endorsement followed a careful review of both the candidate and his proposals.
