Obi visit to Yelwata: Okorie condemns blockade

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Chekwas Okorie

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By John Alechenu

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ABUJA — National Chairman of Igbo Agenda Dialogue, IAD, Chief Chekwas Okorie, has condemned the reported blocking of Peter Obi from paying a humanitarian visit to Yelwata community in Benue State, describing the incident as “one provocation too many.”

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Okorie said preventing Obi from visiting victims of the June attack in the community was dangerous and condemnable.

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He spoke in Abuja, Wednesday, while recalling an open letter he wrote to President Bola Tinubu on March 12, 2026, titled, “Halt the Brewing Anarchy in Nigeria,” in which he warned against actions capable of heightening political tensions in the country.

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According to him, subsequent events had reinforced the concerns raised in the letter.

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Okorie cited the reported warning by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, against Obi visiting the state without his permission and the subsequent attack on a venue where Obi was scheduled to commission the ADC secretariat in Edo State.

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He also referred to alleged threats by supporters of the President, including Sunday Igboho and MC Oluomo, warning Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against campaigning in the South-West.

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The IAD chairman further cited a reported statement by Islamic cleric, Sani Yahaya Jingir, in Kano, in the presence of two serving governors, including Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, that those opposed to a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027 should leave Nigeria.

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Okorie also referenced Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who he said had declared at a press conference that he had assigned himself the responsibility of causing political discomfort for Obi and Atiku.

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He further alleged that more than 50 people were reportedly killed in election-related violence during the build-up to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, alleging that there was no intervention or caution from the Presidency.

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Okorie said: “Buoyed by the apparent but tacit nod of approval by the presidency, the tactics of intimidation and bullying of opposition politicians by those in power have assumed a frightening and dangerous dimension.”

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He also alleged that some states had imposed what he described as excessive signage fees of more than N700,000 for a single billboard belonging to opposition candidates, a situation he said had contributed to the reduced visibility of opposition campaign materials in some cities.

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Describing the reported blockade of Obi’s visit to Yelwata as “despicable and provocative,” Okorie said the silence of the Federal Government and National Assembly over the incident was unacceptable.

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He urged Nigerians committed to peace and democracy to condemn what he described as a dangerous trend.

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“All well-meaning Nigerians must rise in unison to condemn this explosive trend, which may turn our country into a killing field in the name of territorial control for the 2027 elections,” he added.

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