The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called for a completely non-violent campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, cautioning young Nigerians against allowing themselves to be weaponized by the political elite.
The call followed a tense incident on Tuesday morning, September 8, 2026, when political thugs mounted a total roadblock on the strategic Makurdi-Gboko Federal Highway, stopping Obi’s convoy from reaching the Yelewata community. Obi was scheduled to meet, console, and distribute relief materials to families displaced by the devastating June 2025 attacks in that corridor.
The former Anambra State governor arrived at the Makurdi Tactical Air Command airport around 8:00 a.m., where he was warmly received by the Benue NDC gubernatorial candidate, Professor Terhemba Shija, alongside hundreds of jubilant party supporters and cultural troupes.
However, a few meters away from the airport gates, his convoy ran into a full highway blockade mounted by hostile youths suspected to be loyal to a rival political party. Shouting “Peter Obi go back!”, the mob completely halted vehicular movement, causing massive gridlock on the dual-carriageway while local police personnel on the ground did little to disperse them or clear the federal road.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi after the standoff, an unbothered but deeply concerned Obi described the development as a worrisome indicator for the upcoming 2027 electoral cycle.
“It is ridiculous,” Obi declared. “Our experience this morning is very, very worrisome. We arrived in Makurdi at 9:00 a.m., but on our way to the Yelewata community to console and show solidarity with families affected by the brutal killings of over 270 persons in that community, we were blocked by thugs. It is tragic that young people are yielding themselves as instruments of violence for the very elite who created the crushing economic conditions they now suffer from.”
The incident comes amidst growing warnings from civil society organizations over early signs of political thuggery and state-level voter intimidation as political actors ramp up field activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
