RismadarVoice Reporters
September 9, 2026
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the disruption of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s, planned visit to Benue State, describing the incident as unacceptable in a democratic society.
Mr Keyamo, who spoke with newsmen, also criticised what he described as partisan reporting by some media organisations in their coverage of political protests involving candidates of different parties.
The minister said Mr Obi should not have been prevented from proceeding to Yelwata, where he had planned to visit residents affected by recent attacks, regardless of who organised or participated in the protest.
“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.
Mr Keyamo acknowledged claims that Mr Obi’s proposed visit had political undertones and had triggered opposition from some protesters.
He, however, maintained that political disagreements could not justify restricting an individual’s 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 said.
The minister said the incident should also encourage the media to examine what he described as double standards in reporting political protests.
According to him, some media outlets portray hostile crowds confronting candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress as evidence that the candidates have been rejected by Nigerians, while similar incidents involving opposition figures are described as attacks by sponsored thugs or hoodlums.
“When it concerns the opposition, then it is an ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today,” Mr Keyamo said.
He also alleged that some opposition politicians had made statements threatening attacks against APC candidates visiting certain parts of the country.
Mr Keyamo criticised what he described as inadequate media scrutiny of such statements, urging journalists and media organisations to apply the same standards to all political parties.
“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,” he said.
The minister called on supporters of political parties to exercise restraint during the campaign period and resolve political disagreements through democratic means.
He said Nigerians who disagreed with any candidate should express their position through the ballot rather than resorting to violence.
“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,” Mr Keyamo cautioned.
