2027 Elections: Benue Youths Stop Obi from Visiting Massacre Site in Yelewata

In a troubling incident that could foreshadow the future of the 2027 election campaigns, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was blocked from visiting a massacre site in Benue by a group of youths. The attack in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, had claimed over 270 lives in June 2025.

Obi, who arrived in Makurdi in the morning, was heading to Yelewata to offer condolences and support when the youths blocked the road less than two kilometers from the airport, shouting "Obi go back, Obi go back." Some of the youths were reported to be wielding sticks and stones, with security personnel present. Obi, who eventually returned to the airport and left the state, described the situation as "ridiculous and very worrisome".

He had traveled to Benue to show solidarity with the families affected by the killings and to support the victims of the Yelewata attack. The NDC candidate appealed to security agencies and state governors to intervene in order to ensure peaceful political campaigns. He urged the campaigns to focus on issues such as insecurity, kidnapping, hunger, and poverty, rather than violence and confrontation.