Keyamo Labels Peter Obi's Blocked Benue Trip 'Unacceptable'

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has publicly condemned the recent obstruction of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), by demonstrators in Benue State. Keyamo described the incident as fundamentally "unacceptable in a democracy."

During his remarks on the situation, Keyamo stressed that the disruption of Obi's scheduled visit warrants universal condemnation, irrespective of any underlying political affiliations or motivations. He articulated, “Whether the protest was as a result of internal squabbles within the NDC, as posited by the Benue State Government, or sponsored by the All Progressives Congress, APC, or any other rival party, this should not be part of our democracy.”

Addressing allegations that Obi’s planned visit to Yelwata, a community recently affected by violent attacks, was politically motivated and thus incited local hostility, Keyamo firmly stated that political grievances do not provide a basis for restricting an individual's freedom of movement. He reiterated, “That is still not acceptable; everyone should be allowed to move about freely and play their politics without such crude interference.”

Furthermore, Keyamo highlighted what he sees as biased reporting by segments of the media when covering political clashes involving different parties. He observed, “When it concerns the opposition, then it is ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today.” He also pointed out that opposition figures have previously issued threats suggesting APC candidates would encounter hostility in specific regions, noting that such pronouncements received minimal scrutiny from media outlets. Keyamo urged, “What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. The Press must extricate itself from such partisanship and be fair to all.”

The Minister concluded by appealing to political supporters to eschew electoral violence, advising voters who are dissatisfied with any candidate to express their displeasure through constitutional channels during elections. He emphasized, “Whoever is angry at any candidate of any political party should display the anger with the ballot paper on voting day by a simple thumbprint, not by violent acts during campaigns.”