Amnesty Says Blockage Of Obi From Entering Benue Amounts To Political Harassment

By Ayodele Oni

Amnesty International has described the alleged use of political thugs to obstruct Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), from entering Benue State, as a serious concern ahead of the 2027 elections.

The human rights organisation in a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Tuesday alleged that heavily armed youths blocked Gboko Road in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, in what it described as a coordinated action that put Obi’s entourage at risk.

Amnesty International said the Benue State government has questions to answer over the alleged incident, stressing that Nigerians have the right to travel freely to any part of the country.

The organisation expressed concern over what it described as increasing political repression, intolerance and intimidation of opposition politicians and supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Amnesty International alleged that the obstruction of Obi’s movement was part of a wider pattern of political harassment, adding that the use of armed vigilante groups or political thugs against rival candidates was unlawful.

It said the alleged incident undermined the principle of a level playing field for political parties and candidates participating in the electoral process.

Amnesty International also criticised what it described as the failure of relevant authorities to adequately investigate alleged cases of political violence and bring suspected perpetrators to justice.

The organisation said it had been documenting cases of alleged political repression since last year, including claims involving political meetings, opposition activities and alleged attacks on political actors.

It expressed concern that insufficient action by authorities could encourage further political violence and intimidation as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.