RismadarVoice Reporters
September 13, 2026
The Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has defended his decision to provide a vehicle for Peter Obi during the former Anambra governor’s recent visit to the state.
Mr Ortom said the gesture was purely an act of courtesy and should not be interpreted as evidence of renewed political cooperation with Mr Obi.
The former governor, through his media aide, Terver Akase, said it would have been petty and unbecoming of a former governor to deny Mr Obi transportation while he was in Benue on a humanitarian visit.
Mr Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, had visited the state last Tuesday to meet victims and families affected by the June 2025 massacre in Yelwata.
However, his planned journey from Makurdi to Yelwata was interrupted after youths reportedly blocked his convoy around Gyado Villa, a short distance from the airport.
The incident later triggered a political dispute after Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, alleged that Mr Ortom had facilitated Mr Obi’s visit.
Mr Tersoo said the state government’s investigation traced the vehicle used to transport Mr Obi from Makurdi Airport to the former governor.
According to him, the vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GWA 608 BT, was registered in Mr Ortom’s name and associated with his Judges Quarters address in Makurdi, based on Federal Road Safety Corps records.
The governor’s aide subsequently questioned why Mr Ortom, who has declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, would make his vehicle available to Mr Obi.
Responding to the criticism, Mr Ortom said Mr Obi deserved basic hospitality as a former governor and presidential candidate visiting Benue.
He argued that providing transportation to a prominent political figure on a humanitarian mission did not amount to political endorsement.
Mr Ortom described attempts to attach political motives to the gesture as misplaced, saying it was simply an act of courtesy expected of a former governor.
He also rejected suggestions that his action contradicted his current political position.
Mr Ortom supported Mr Obi’s presidential bid in 2023 but has since announced his support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
He maintained that his political alignment had changed, but that this did not prevent him from extending basic courtesy to Mr Obi during his visit to Benue.
