Why I Gave Peter Obi My Vehicle During Benue Visit — Ortom

Why I Gave Peter Obi My Vehicle During Benue Visit — Ortom

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has explained why he allowed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to use his vehicle during the former Anambra State governor’s recent visit to Benue.

Ortom said there was nothing political or unusual about his decision to make the vehicle available to Obi, insisting that it was simply an act of courtesy and hospitality to a fellow former governor and presidential candidate.

The explanation came amid a growing controversy over Obi’s visit to Benue, where his convoy was blocked by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko Federal Highway, preventing him from proceeding to Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area.

Obi had travelled to the state to sympathise with families affected by the deadly June 2025 Yelewata attack, in which more than 200 people were killed.

Speaking through his media aide, Terver Akase, Ortom said it would have been petty and inhospitable for him to deny Obi the use of his vehicle during the visit.

He argued that political differences should not prevent leaders from extending basic courtesies to one another, particularly when a former governor was visiting the state for a humanitarian engagement.

Ortom also rejected suggestions that allowing Obi to use his vehicle amounted to an endorsement of the NDC candidate’s 2027 presidential ambition.

The former governor acknowledged that he supported Obi during the 2023 presidential election, but stressed that his political position had since changed.

According to him, he has publicly declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election and has not concealed that position.

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He therefore dismissed suggestions that his decision to assist Obi meant he was secretly supporting the former Anambra governor.

Ortom described claims that he was being “double-faced” over the matter as laughable, maintaining that helping a political opponent with transportation was not the same as endorsing his political ambition.

The vehicle controversy emerged after Obi arrived in Makurdi for his planned visit to Yelewata.

The Benue State Government later raised questions about the vehicle used to convey the NDC candidate from the airport, with reports indicating that Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) records linked the vehicle to Ortom.

The revelation generated political debate, particularly because of Ortom’s support for Tinubu and his earlier relationship with Obi.

Ortom, however, maintained that the gesture should be seen as an example of political leaders putting courtesy and humanity above partisan differences.

He also questioned why the provision of a vehicle for a visiting presidential candidate had become a political issue, arguing that the state government itself should ordinarily have made adequate arrangements for Obi’s movement.

The controversy over Ortom’s vehicle followed a more serious incident involving the obstruction of Obi’s convoy.

According to the Benue State Police Command, 46 people have been arrested in connection with the blockade.

The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, said the arrests followed intelligence-led operations after youths blocked Obi’s convoy on the Makurdi-Gboko highway.

The police said officers initially avoided using force to disperse the group because of fears that such action could result in casualties and destruction of property.

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Nwadiogbu said the police eventually escorted Obi safely back to the airport after his movement was disrupted.

He also warned that nobody had the right to unlawfully prevent another person from moving freely, regardless of political affiliation.

The police commissioner said the command had been informed about Obi’s planned visit and had deployed security personnel to protect him.

In a subsequent clarification, Nwadiogbu said representatives of the NDC had informed the police about the visit for security purposes.

He also stated that the NDC did not ask him to transmit its notification letter to Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The clarification became significant because the Benue State Government had criticised the organisation of Obi’s visit and questioned whether appropriate protocols had been followed.

The state government has consistently denied involvement in the blockade.

Governor Alia’s administration said it had no role in preventing Obi from travelling to Yelewata and rejected allegations that individuals acting on behalf of the government were responsible for the incident.

The government maintained that it does not engage or deploy political thugs as instruments of governance or security.

It also questioned why Obi’s visit was not formally communicated to relevant authorities in a manner that would have allowed adequate coordination and security arrangements.

Obi, however, condemned the blockade and appealed to security agencies to ensure that political actors could move freely during the build-up to the 2027 general election.

He said he had chosen not to confront the protesters because doing so could have escalated the situation and endangered lives.

The incident has attracted condemnation from several political figures, who argued that disagreements over political activities should be settled through democratic means rather than road blockades or intimidation.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo also condemned the obstruction, saying political grievances should be expressed through the ballot box rather than violence or intimidation.

The police have meanwhile continued investigations into the circumstances surrounding the blockade and the identities and motives of those arrested.

The incident has raised broader concerns about political tolerance, freedom of movement and electoral security as political parties and presidential candidates begin to intensify activities ahead of 2027.

Obi’s planned visit to Yelewata was particularly sensitive because of the scale of the 2025 violence there.

The community became a national symbol of Benue’s worsening security crisis after the attack left hundreds of people dead and displaced many residents.

Obi had intended to meet affected residents and families and express solidarity with them.

The fact that he was unable to reach the community transformed what his supporters described as a humanitarian visit into a major political controversy.

The latest dispute has also revived questions about the relationship between Ortom and Obi.

Ortom was among the prominent political figures who supported Obi’s presidential campaign in 2023. He has since aligned himself with Tinubu ahead of the next presidential election.

The former Benue governor insists, however, that his current political allegiance does not prevent him from showing courtesy to Obi or any other political figure.

He argued that leaders should be able to disagree politically while maintaining respect and civility.

For Ortom, therefore, the decision to provide his vehicle was not a secret political arrangement but an ordinary gesture of hospitality that should not be interpreted beyond what it was.

The episode nevertheless highlights the increasingly charged political atmosphere in Benue and across Nigeria as preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.

With the police investigation into the Peter Obi convoy blockade still ongoing and 46 suspects already arrested, attention is now focused on determining who organised the obstruction and whether the incident had any political sponsorship.

Ortom, meanwhile, has maintained that his support for Tinubu remains unchanged, while his decision to assist Obi during the Benue visit was simply an act of courtesy to a fellow political leader.

Why I Gave Peter Obi My Vehicle During Benue Visit — Ortom