The Benue State Government is reportedly making moves to block a planned visit by Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, to camps housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
Obi, whose post-election activities have prominently included humanitarian outreach to victims of violence across the country, was said to have planned a visit to some of the IDP camps in Benue.
The former Anambra State governor, in recent weeks, visited IDP camps in Plateau, Southern Kaduna and Nasarawa states, meeting with displaced families, donating relief materials and advocating for urgent government intervention.
His visit to Plateau State drew national attention after he held talks with Governor Caleb Mutfwang and visited victims of herdsmen attacks.
According to reliable sources, Obi’s team had reached out to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) through its Executive Secretary, Sir James Iorpuu, to officially notify the agency and seek access to designated camps for the visit.
However, it appears the move has sparked a political storm within Benue’s corridors of power.
Top government officials reportedly advised Governor Alia against granting Obi access to the IDP camps, citing political undertones.
The visit, they argued, could be perceived as a calculated move by former Governor Samuel Ortom, a staunch supporter of Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, to revive his political relevance and embarrass the current administration.
Beyond the Ortom factor, sources also revealed that the decision to stop Obi’s visit was influenced by wider political calculations.
“It is believed that allowing Obi access at this time could fuel ongoing speculations that Governor Alia is considering leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid tensions with some national leaders of the party.
“The governor is very conscious of his relationship with the Presidency and party hierarchy. Allowing Obi’s visit would not only trigger local political drama with Ortom but might also be interpreted in Abuja as a subtle alignment with the opposition at a time when Alia is battling internal party issues. This is not the kind of message he wants to send to the President.
“Such an association, especially with a high-profile opposition figure like Obi, could be politically damaging for Alia, who has been working to consolidate his hold on the state and maintain good standing with President Bola Tinubu’s administration,” a source told DAILY POST on Monday.
It would be recalled that in the February 25, 2023 presidential poll, Obi pulled a stunning performance in Benue State, securing over 308,000 votes, a figure that shocked many given the dominance traditionally enjoyed by the two major parties – APC and PDP.
His victory in the state was largely attributed to the support of Ortom and a groundswell of youth-driven, faith-based and middle-class backing.
Following this backdrop, sources disclosed that Governor Alia was convinced by his inner circle to forestall Obi’s visit to avoid reigniting political rivalries or offering Ortom and the Labour Party a platform to reassert influence in the state.
As a result, the governor reportedly instructed his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, to issue a public statement cautioning against what it described as “unapproved high-profile visits” to the state.
“For anyone considering a visit to Benue State without the Governor’s knowledge, it is imperative to reconsider such plans, as the safety and security of individuals in this regard cannot be guaranteed,” he warned.
Though the statement fell short of directly naming Peter Obi, insiders confirmed that it was a veiled warning aimed at dissuading the former presidential candidate from proceeding with his proposed outreach.
One government source, speaking anonymously, said, “The governor is not comfortable with Obi’s visit, especially with the political undertones it carries.
“The camps are a sensitive issue and we cannot allow anyone to politicise the suffering of our displaced people.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither Obi’s camp nor the Labour Party has issued an official statement regarding the restriction.
However, a source close to the former governor disclosed that the visit was purely humanitarian and part of Obi’s ongoing national outreach to communities affected by violence and displacement.
