The denial followed allegations by the Obidient Movement that Obi’s movement was disrupted on Tuesday while he was in Benue to commiserate with families affected by the deadly 2025 attacks in Yelwata.
In a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the state government described the allegation as baseless and accused Obi of attempting to drag the governor and the people of Benue into what it suggested could be an internal political dispute within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The government said it had no knowledge of any incident involving Obi and insisted that Governor Alia’s administration had neither authorised nor participated in any attempt to restrict the former presidential candidate’s movement.
“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr. Obi is talking about,” the statement said.
The administration also questioned whether Obi was actually in Makurdi on Tuesday, citing what it described as previous instances in which he allegedly made inaccurate claims concerning Benue State.
The government stressed that Obi was not regarded as a threat to Governor Alia and said any genuine security concern involving him would ordinarily be handled by the appropriate security agencies.
“Let it be known that Mr. Peter Obi is not a threat to Governor Alia in any way. Even if he actually visited the state, and we realized that he is a threat to anyone, the security agencies are there to handle the issue, not thugs,” it said.
The state government further defended Alia’s administration, describing the governor as a peace-loving clergyman committed to the rule of law.
It maintained that the government neither recruits nor uses thugs for governance or security operations, adding that recognised security agencies remained responsible for maintaining law and order in the state.
The administration also questioned the circumstances surrounding Obi’s alleged visit, arguing that a presidential candidate travelling within a state should ordinarily have his movement coordinated with relevant security authorities.
“It is therefore curious that an individual presenting himself as a presidential candidate could arrive in a state without the relevant security authorities being formally informed of his movement,” the statement said.
According to the government, such a visit would normally require coordination with the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to ensure adequate protection.
The Alia administration accused Obi of repeatedly attempting to associate what it described as unfounded allegations with the governor and the state government.
It further suggested that if Obi was experiencing disagreements within the NDC’s political structure in Benue, such matters should be addressed internally rather than attributed to the state government.
The government said it would not be distracted by what it described as attempts to create political controversies, insisting that its priority remained governance, security and the welfare of residents.
It urged the public to disregard allegations connecting the state government to the incident and reaffirmed that Benue remained open to political actors and other visitors who came peacefully.
The government said, “Benue remains open to legitimate visitors, political actors and all Nigerians who come in peace.”
OBIDIENT MOVEMENT ACCUSES ALIA ADMINISTRATION
The state government’s response came after the Obidient Movement accused the Alia administration of allegedly using thugs to disrupt Obi’s movement in Makurdi.
The group alleged that thugs barricaded Gboko Road around the Makurdi airport on Tuesday, September 8, causing traffic disruption and allegedly preventing Obi from proceeding with his scheduled engagements.
In a statement signed by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement described the incident as a “state-backed attempt” to restrict Obi’s freedom of movement in Benue.
It alleged that the suspected thugs were acting on the instructions of Governor Alia and accused the administration of attempting to frustrate Obi’s activities in the state.
“The Obidient Movement unequivocally condemns the latest state-backed attempt to block Mr. Peter Obi’s freedom of movement in Benue State,” the group said.
The movement further alleged that Tuesday’s incident was not an isolated occurrence, claiming that it was the second time the Alia administration had allegedly attempted to prevent Obi from moving freely within the state.
The allegations and counter-allegations have now created a fresh political dispute between
Obi’s supporters and the Benue State Government, with both sides maintaining opposing accounts of what occurred during the former presidential candidate’s visit.
