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Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has accused Governor Hyacinth Alia of being behind the reported blockade of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, from visiting Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
Ortom, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, condemned the incident, describing it as a violation of the rule of law. He also challenged Alia to swear by the Bible that he was unaware of what happened.
“In Benue State, we have a government that does not believe in the rule of law. We have a government in Benue State that is out for lawlessness. We begin to wonder, if all of us will not respect the rule of law, but also join him in ensuring lawlessness, where are we going to be?” Ortom said.
He described the reported restriction of Obi’s movement as wrong, particularly because the NDC candidate was visiting the community to sympathise with victims of the deadly attacks in the area.
“I condemn what happened yesterday. It is wrong not to allow Peter Obi to visit Benue and sympathise with those people whose people were killed. It was wrong, and that is the kind of government that we have in Benue State today,” he said.
Ortom further alleged that Alia had previously been involved in actions he described as contrary to the rule of law, citing the removal of a Chief Judge and alleging that the governor used thugs and tipper trucks loaded with sand to block the judge’s office.
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“I say that it is unfortunate that somebody who is supposed to be a reverend father is telling lies. Can he come out and swear by the Bible that he claims to be a reverend priest and say that he was not aware of what happened yesterday? It was a deliberate attempt. He did it. Ask any other person,” Ortom said.
The former governor stressed that his position was not an endorsement of Obi, but a defence of the right of Nigerians and political candidates to move freely within the country.
“I am not supporting Peter Obi. But it is wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Bayelsa State Governor and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the incident, saying Nigerians deserved to know whether government officials were involved.
Dickson said the party would petition the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation, while urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene because, in his view, the incident raised concerns about Nigeria’s democratic order ahead of the 2027 elections.
