Amnesty International Condemns Blockade of Obi’s Convoy in Benue

Amnesty International has condemned the reported blockade of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, from entering Benue State, describing the incident as a dangerous act of political repression.

In a statement on Tuesday, the human rights organisation expressed concern over what it described as the “reckless and unlawful use of political thugs” to prevent Obi from accessing the state.

Amnesty International said the Benue State Government has questions to answer over the incident, stressing that no Nigerian requires permission or prior notification to visit any part of the country.

“No state is a no-go area for any person or supporters of any political party,” the organisation stated.

It alleged that heavily armed youths barricaded the Gboko Road in Makurdi, the state capital, in what appeared to be a coordinated action that placed Obi’s entourage at risk.

According to Amnesty International, the harassment of opposition candidates by state-endorsed armed vigilante groups or political thugs is unlawful and undermines democratic participation.

It also raised concerns over the increasing political intolerance, incitement and efforts to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.

It said it had, since last year, documented alleged cases of political repression, including attempts to prevent hotels from hosting opposition political meetings and attacks on the political activities of rival parties.

The organisation further criticised the Nigerian authorities for allegedly doing little to prevent political repression and violence, accusing some states of adopting unannounced measures aimed at shutting out political opposition.

It also expressed concern over the alleged failure of relevant authorities to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of such incidents.

The organisation called on political parties and candidates to make opposition to violence and political thuggery a clear and integral part of their election campaigns.

Obi’s convoy was blocked from entering Benue State by alleged sponsored thugs earlier today, though the State Government has denied the accusation, stating that it wasn’t aware of Obi’s visit.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kula Tersoo, in a telephone interview on Tuesday, said the government was not aware of Obi’s visit to the state.

“We are not aware of his coming to the state, and if it were to be security agents that stopped him, it would have been easy for us to find out what happened.

“As presidential candidate of a party and former governor, he is a property of the federal government and ought to have been given security. Where are those security agents around him, and if he is going to any state, the security of the host state should know to provide security for him.”

“We were surprised that youth would stop someone; youth can not do anything on behalf of government. Our government doesn’t patronise thugs, and in any case, Obi is not a threat to the governor; we are not aware that Obi is coming to Benue. Am hearing it from you,” he said.