It’s Unacceptable – Keyamo Reacts To Peter Obi’s Blocked Benue Visit

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the disruption of a planned visit to Benue State by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Keyamo described the incident, in which protesters prevented Obi from proceeding to Yelwata, as unacceptable in a democratic society, regardless of who was behind the action.

He insisted that political differences must not be allowed to undermine citizens’ freedom of movement.

Obi had planned to visit Yelwata, a community affected by deadly attacks, but his movement was blocked by protesters during his arrival in the state on Tuesday.

Reacting to the development on Wednesday, Keyamo said it was immaterial whether the protesters were acting out of internal disagreements within the NDC, as claimed by the Benue State Government, or whether they were allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or another political group.

“Whether the protest was as a result of internal squabbles within the NDC, as posited by the Benue State Government, or sponsored by the All Progressives Congress, APC, or any other rival party, this should not be part of our democracy,” he said.

The minister acknowledged arguments that Obi’s proposed visit to Yelwata could have been politically motivated, but maintained that such concerns did not justify preventing him from accessing the area.

According to Keyamo, every political actor should be free to campaign, visit communities and engage with Nigerians without facing physical obstruction or intimidation.

“That is still not acceptable; everyone should be allowed to move about freely and play their politics without such crude interference,” he said.

Beyond the Benue incident, Keyamo turned his criticism towards sections of the media, accusing some outlets of applying different standards when reporting confrontations involving politicians from opposing parties.

He argued that hostile crowds confronting APC candidates were sometimes presented as evidence of public rejection, while similar incidents involving opposition figures were characterised as attacks allegedly carried out by sponsored thugs or hoodlums.

“When it concerns the opposition, then it is ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today,” Keyamo said.

He further alleged that some opposition politicians had previously threatened that APC candidates would be attacked if they visited certain parts of the country or openly identified with the ruling party.

Keyamo questioned what he described as the media’s inadequate response to such statements, urging journalists to maintain impartiality in their coverage of political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. The Press must extricate itself from such partisanship and be fair to all,” he said.

The minister also appealed to supporters of all political parties to exercise restraint as political activities intensify, warning against turning political disagreements into violence.

He said Nigerians dissatisfied with any candidate or political party should use the electoral process to express their grievances rather than resorting to attacks during campaigns.

“Whoever is angry at any candidate of any political party should display the anger with the ballot paper on voting day by a simple thumbprint, not by violent acts during campaigns,” Keyamo added.