How Peter Obi’s planned visit to IDPs camps forced Gov Alia to declare Benue a no-go area

The Benue State Government is reportedly making moves to prevent the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, from visiting Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state, DAILY POST has gathered.

Obi, whose post-election engagements have prominently included humanitarian visits to victims of violent attacks across the country, was said to have planned a visit to select IDP camps in Benue. In recent weeks, the former Anambra State governor has visited similar camps in Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and Nasarawa states, donating relief materials and calling for more decisive government intervention.

His visit to Plateau State earlier drew nationwide attention after he met with Governor Caleb Mutfwang and victims of herdsmen attacks, a development that reportedly unsettled political players in Benue.

Sources familiar with the development said Obi’s team had officially reached out to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) through its Executive Secretary, Sir James Iorpuu, to notify the agency and seek access to designated camps.

However, the move appears to have stirred political unease in Makurdi.

Insiders revealed that top government officials advised Governor Hyacinth Alia against granting Obi access to the IDP camps, warning that the visit could be interpreted as a political strategy by former Governor Samuel Ortom, a well-known Obi ally, to regain relevance in the state’s politics and embarrass the current administration.

Beyond the Ortom factor, sources said the decision was also driven by wider political considerations.

“It is believed that allowing Obi access at this time could fuel ongoing speculations that Governor Alia is considering leaving the APC amid tensions with some national leaders of the party,” a source told DAILY POST.

“The governor is very sensitive about his standing with the Presidency and party hierarchy. An open association with Obi could be viewed as a subtle alignment with the opposition and potentially damage his relationship with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”

It would be recalled that Peter Obi secured a stunning 308,000 votes in Benue during the February 25, 2023 presidential election — an outcome largely credited to the influence of Ortom and a surge of support from youth and faith-based groups.

To avert potential political fallout, Governor Alia reportedly instructed his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, to issue a public statement cautioning against unapproved high-profile visits.

“For anyone considering a visit to Benue State without the Governor’s knowledge, it is imperative to reconsider such plans, as the safety and security of individuals in this regard cannot be guaranteed,” the statement warned.

Though the statement did not mention Obi by name, multiple sources confirmed it was targeted at dissuading the former presidential candidate from proceeding with the visit.

A government official familiar with the matter remarked, “The governor is not comfortable with Obi’s visit because of the political undertones it carries. The camps are a sensitive issue, and we cannot allow anyone to politicise the suffering of our displaced people.”

As of the time of this report, neither Obi’s media team nor the Labour Party has issued an official statement. However, a source close to the former governor insisted the visit was purely humanitarian and part of Obi’s ongoing outreach to communities affected by violence.

“It has nothing to do with politics. He has visited other states, met with governors across party lines and donated relief items. Benue won’t be different,” the source said.