Obi’s blocked Benue visit unacceptable — Festus Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, SAN, has condemned the blockade of Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi by protesters in Benue State, describing the incident as unacceptable in a democracy.

Speaking on the incident, Keyamo emphasized that the disruption of Obi’s planned visit must be condemned regardless of the political affiliations or motivations involved.“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,” he said.

Addressing assertions that Obi’s planned visit to Yelwata, a community affected by recent attacks—was politically motivated and provoked localized hostility, Keyamo insisted that political grievances do not justify restricting freedom of movement.

“That is still not acceptable; everyone should be allowed to move about freely and play their politics without such crude interference,” he stated.Keyamo further called attention to what he characterized as partisan reporting by sections of the press when covering political confrontations across different parties.

“When it concerns the opposition, then it is ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today,” he noted. He further highlighted that opposition figures have previously issued threats suggesting APC candidates would face hostility in certain regions, pointing out that such rhetoric received minimal scrutiny from media outlets.

“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,” Keyamo said. Urging political supporters to avoid election violence, Keyamo advised dissatisfied voters to channel their grievances through constitutional means during elections. “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,” he added.