APM Presidential Candidate Reacts to Obi’s Convoy Attack In Benue Days After Major Endorsement
- APM presidential candidate Seyi Makinde described the obstruction of Peter Obi's convoy in Benue State as deeply disturbing
- Makinde's campaign accused the ruling APC of sponsoring the youths who blocked Obi's convoy on the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway
- The APM candidate cited constitutional guarantees on freedom of movement and called for a police investigation into the incident
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Seyi Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has condemned the blocking of Peter Obi's convoy during a campaign visit to Benue State on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
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 and to visit Yelwata, where he planned to meet families affected by the June 2025 attacks in the area.
Source: Twitter
His convoy, however, ran into 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.
Makinde blames APC for the blockade
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 9, by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Anthony Ehilebo, Makinde's campaign said the incident was "totally unacceptable" and blamed it on what it described as state-sponsored thuggery by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
"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 statement read.
The campaign noted that the blockade came 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 team 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.
The campaign 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.
APM demands police investigation
Speaking still, Makinde 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 statement said.
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.
Prophet dumps Obi ahead of 2027
Previously, Legit.ng 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.
He said his endorsement followed a careful review of both the candidate and his proposals.
Source: Legit.ng
