BREAKING: ‘I can’t reach Alia’ – Peter Obi cries out as govt blocks him from coming to Benue

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has cried out over alleged attempts by the Benue State Government to frustrate his planned humanitarian visit to the state.

Obi, in a statement released Monday via his official X handle, accused the government of politicising what he described as a purely humanitarian mission aimed at visiting internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and health institutions in Benue.

The former Anambra State governor revealed that despite multiple efforts to reach Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, he was unable to establish contact ahead of his scheduled trip.

“I tried repeatedly to contact the Benue State Governor directly without success. I then successfully contacted his ADC, who told me the Governor was in a very important meeting and would call me before midnight on the same day,” Obi disclosed.

Obi said the failure of communication, coupled with a press statement purportedly issued by the state government disapproving his visit, suggests a deliberate move to politicise humanitarian efforts in the country.

“Ordinarily, I would not have commented on this issue, as I have endured far worse situations in my political life since I declared for the presidency,” he stated. “But the unfolding events demand that I begin to speak out.”

He insisted that his trip, which was to follow an earlier stop in Plateau State, was devoid of any political motive, explaining that his planned visits to a school project, a nursing school, and IDP camps were purely acts of compassion and social responsibility.