Peter Obi Visits Benue and Plateau Amid Security Disputes

Presidential candidate Peter Obi conducted a series of political and humanitarian visits to Plateau and Benue states in November 2026. In Jos, Obi met with the Plateau State Traditional Council to condemn insecurity in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Mangu, arguing that development is impossible while citizens live in fear.

His visit to Benue State was preceded by a public dispute. Terhemba Shija, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, accused the state government of plotting to disrupt Obi's scheduled town hall meeting in Makurdi and a trip to Yelewata to honor victims of a June 2025 massacre. Commissioner for Information and Orientation Solomon Iorpev dismissed these claims as "false, baseless and mischievous," characterizing them as "political content creation" intended to harvest sympathy.

Despite the tension, Obi visited Benue on November 11, accompanied by running mate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He met with the Tor Tiv, James Ayatse, in Gboko and traveled to Yelewata to pay tribute to massacre victims. Security forces were deployed at strategic locations, including the Wurukum Roundabout, to prevent a repeat of a September 2026 incident where suspected political thugs attacked Obi's convoy, resulting in 46 arrests by the Benue State Police Command.