Peter Obi’s Yelwata visit disruption was organised to discredit Benue govt — Lubem Gbenda

A community leader in Benue State, Lubem Gbenda, has claimed that former Governor Samuel Ortom organised a plot to discredit the state government during the planned visit of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, to Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of the state.

Gbenda, President of the Lobi Consultative Forum, made the allegation during an interview on Arise TV on Monday while reacting to the controversy surrounding the disruption of Obi’s planned visit to the community.

According to him, Ortom held meetings and provided vehicles ahead of Obi’s visit in an attempt to create the impression that the state government was responsible for preventing the NDC presidential candidate from accessing Yelwata.

“The evidence is very clear. You see, his house was used for a meeting. Most of the vehicles used in the whole of that visit were donated by him,” Gbenda said.

He said Ortom’s residence was used for a meeting in George’s Quarters, while vehicles allegedly belonging to the former governor were used to convey people to and from the airport.

Gbenda said Ortom allegedly organised people to disrupt the visit after discovering that details surrounding the planned trip had leaked.

“He allegedly organised this whole thing to make it look as if it is the state government that is blocking Peter Obi from going to Yelwata,” he said.

However, the allegations were challenged during the interview, with the interviewer cautioning Gbenda to be careful when making accusations against individuals without sufficient evidence.

Gbenda maintained that Ortom had since admitted that his house was used for a meeting and that he lent his vehicles to Obi, which he said constituted evidence supporting his claims.

The community leader also alleged that Ortom was attempting to maintain relationships with both Obi and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to Gbenda, the former governor was allegedly trying to be “a good person to Peter Obi in the night and, at the same time, be a good person to Mr President in the daytime.”

Gbenda also accused politicians of exploiting the insecurity situation in Benue for political purposes ahead of the 2027 elections.

He urged political actors to campaign on issues rather than use tragedies suffered by communities to gain political advantage.

“We don’t want our situation to be used for political campaigns. We are cautioning politicians,” Gbenda said.

He also urged political leaders visiting communities affected by insecurity to properly notify relevant authorities to ensure adequate security arrangements.

Gbenda further expressed confidence in the prosecution of suspects arrested over the 2025 Yelwata killings, saying Governor Hyacinth Alia had assured affected communities that those arrested would be prosecuted and appropriate penalties imposed if found guilty.

He credited the state government’s road construction and resettlement efforts with improving access to some affected communities, saying improved roads had enabled security personnel to reach previously inaccessible areas.

Gbenda called on political parties, traditional institutions, community leaders and socio-cultural organisations to work together to prevent youths from being recruited as instruments of political violence ahead of the 2027 elections.