Peter Obi’s Yelwata visit disruption was organised to discredit Benue govt — Lubem Gbenda

Benue State's community leader, Lubem Gbenda, claims that former Governor Samuel Ortom orchestrated a plan to discredit the state government during presidential candidate Peter Obi's visit to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area. Gbenda, who heads the Lobi Consultative Forum, made these allegations during an interview on Arise TV.

He stated that Ortom held meetings and provided vehicles, using his residence for a gathering and his vehicles to transport people to and from the airport. Gbenda believes Ortom organized the disruption to make it seem like the state government was blocking Obi's access to Yelwata. The allegations were challenged during the interview, with the interviewer urging caution when making accusations without sufficient evidence.

Gbenda maintained that Ortom had admitted to using his house and vehicles, which he said supported his claims. He further alleged that Ortom sought to maintain relationships with both Obi and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections, attempting to be a "good person to Peter Obi in the night and, at the same time, be a good person to Mr President in the daytime."

Gbenda also accused politicians of exploiting Benue's insecurity for political gain ahead of the 2027 elections and urged political actors to focus on issues rather than using tragedies to gain political advantage.