Okorie: Blocking Obi’s Yelwata Visit ‘Provocation Taken Too Far’

National Chairman of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has condemned the reported attempt to prevent Peter Obi from paying a humanitarian visit to Yelwata in Benue State.
He described the incident as “one provocation taken too far.”

Okorie, in a statement dyesterday, said the incident was part of a worrying pattern of intimidation and provocative actions against opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He recalled that on 12th March , 2026, he had written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu titled, “Halt the Brewing Anarchy in Nigeria,” warning about what he described as inciting, hateful and incendiary rhetoric capable of further heating up the political environment.

Okorie said subsequent events had reinforced the concerns raised in that letter, citing an alleged warning by Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, against Obi visiting the state without his permission, followed by an attack involving gunshots at the venue of an ADC event attended by Obi.

He also referenced reported threats from Sunday Igboho and MC Oluomo against Obi and Atiku Abubakar, who are campaigning in parts of the South-West. The IAD chairman further criticised comments attributed to Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir at a gathering in Kano, where he alleged that opponents of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket should leave Nigeria.

He also cited recent comments by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, whom he accused of declaring that he had taken responsibility for giving Obi and Atiku “high blood pressure.” Okorie said the reported election-related deaths in Osun State had added to concerns about the country’s political environment.

He expressed disappointment that, despite what he described as these developments, there had been no sufficiently strong intervention or admonition from the Federal Government.

According to him, the perceived lack of intervention had encouraged what he called “intimidation and bullying” of opposition politicians by those in power. He also criticised the alleged imposition of high signage fees on opposition political parties by some state governments, arguing that such charges could restrict opposition parties’ ability to campaign and advertise.

On the Yelwata incident, Okorie said Obi had intended to visit residents who lost more than 200 members of their community in the June 2026 attack. He described the reported blocking of the highway and the prevention of Obi’s humanitarian visit as “dangerous” and accused the Federal Government and the National Assembly of maintaining an unacceptable silence on the matter.

“All well-meaning Nigerians must rise in unison to condemn this explosive trend,” Okorie said, warning against a situation in which political competition for the 2027 elections could contribute to violence.