A Shameful Display of Power: Benue and Tinubu’s Government Must Answer for Blocking Peter Obi’s Humanitarian Mission In The State — Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke
The recent actions of the Benue State Government, reportedly backed by the Tinubu-led federal administration, in blocking Peter Obi’s planned visit to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Benue State are nothing short of a disgrace. This incident is a glaring testament to the depths to which political pettiness has sunk in Nigeria, where even the most basic acts of compassion for the suffering are stifled by fear of losing political relevance. Both Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Tinubu owe Nigerians an apology—and an explanation—for this shameful display of power that prioritizes political posturing over the welfare of the vulnerable.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has consistently shown a commitment to humanitarian causes that transcends political divides. His planned visit to Benue on April 14, 2025, was not a campaign rally or a political stunt—it was a continuation of his well-documented efforts to support displaced Nigerians, as he did just days earlier in Plateau State, where he donated 7.5 million naira to aid victims of violence in Bokkos. Obi intended to visit a school in Gboko, a nursing school, and an IDP camp in Benue, bringing much-needed attention and support to the 618,000 displaced persons still languishing in camps across the state, as reported by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on April 11, 2025. Yet, the Benue State Government, allegedly with the tacit approval of the Tinubu administration, moved to block this visit, citing vague political concerns. This is not governance—it is cowardice.
The Benue State Government’s excuse, as previously reported by Njenje Media, hinges on fears that Obi’s visit could be exploited by former Governor Samuel Ortom to “revive his political relevance” or fuel rumors of Governor Alia’s defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC). Even more telling is the concern that allowing Obi, a prominent opposition figure, to visit might damage Alia’s standing with President Tinubu’s administration. If these are the reasons for obstructing a humanitarian mission, then both Alia and Tinubu have lost sight of what leadership means. Since when does compassion for the displaced become a political liability? Since when does a governor, who also happens to be a Reverend Father, prioritize party loyalty over the cries of his people? The hypocrisy is staggering—Alia, a man of the cloth, should be the first to champion Obi’s efforts, not obstruct them.
The fingerprints of the Tinubu-led government are all over this incident. Sources close to the matter, as reported by Pulse Nigeria, indicate that Alia’s decision was influenced by pressure to maintain “good standing” with the Presidency. This aligns with a disturbing pattern under Tinubu’s leadership, where dissent and opposition are met with suppression rather than dialogue. Just days before this incident, on April 11, 2025, the National Broadcast Commission (NBC) banned Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa,” which criticized Tinubu’s economic policies for exacerbating hardship and insecurity. The message is clear: Tinubu’s administration will not tolerate criticism, even when it comes from artists or opposition figures like Obi, whose actions in Benue were not even remotely political. This is a government more interested in silencing voices than addressing the real issues—like the fact that Nigerians are dying on unsafe roads, as Abdulkareem pointed out, or that IDPs in Benue face overcrowding, food insecurity, and inadequate medical care, as documented in a 2024 study on the state’s humanitarian crisis.
What makes this incident even more infuriating is the context of Benue’s suffering. The state has been a hotspot for the farmer- herder conflict, with over 618,000 IDPs still in camps as of April 2025, according to SEMA. These are people who have lost everything—homes, livelihoods, loved ones—to violence and insecurity. Obi’s visit could have brought national attention to their plight, potentially galvanizing more support from NGOs, the UN, and other stakeholders who have already been working to complement the state’s efforts. Instead, Alia and Tinubu chose to play politics with their pain, issuing a statement that warned of “unapproved high-profile visits” and claimed that the safety of visitors could not be guaranteed. If a governor cannot guarantee the safety of a prominent figure like Obi, then who exactly is safe in Benue? What does this say about Alia’s ability to govern or Tinubu’s commitment to national security?
This incident is a microcosm of the broader failures of the Tinubu administration. From the economic reforms that have deepened hardship—leading to hunger and a soaring cost of living—to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025, which many, including Obi himself, criticized as a “reckless” power grab, Tinubu has shown a consistent disregard for the principles of democracy and human dignity. His government’s complicity in blocking Obi’s visit to Benue is just another example of how far they will go to protect their political interests, even at the expense of the most vulnerable Nigerians. It is no wonder that Obi’s message of “A new Nigeria is POssible” resonates with so many—he represents a vision of leadership that puts people first, while Tinubu and his allies seem intent on preserving power at all costs.
Governor Alia and President Tinubu must be held accountable for this travesty. Alia should immediately reverse his stance, apologize to the people of Benue, and facilitate Obi’s visit to the IDP camps. Tinubu, for his part, must stop using his influence to suppress opposition voices and instead focus on the real crises facing Nigerians—poverty, insecurity, and displacement. The people of Benue deserve better than a government that blocks help in the name of politics. Nigerians deserve better than a president who prioritizes party loyalty over human lives. Until both leaders show the courage to put the people first, they will remain complicit in the suffering of millions—a stain on their legacies that no amount of political maneuvering can erase.
