A community leader in Benue State, Lubem Gbenda, has alleged that former Governor Samuel Ortom was behind the disruption of the planned visit of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
Gbenda, President of the Lobi Consultative Forum, made the allegation during an interview on Arise TV on Monday, while reacting to the controversy surrounding the disruption of Obi’s visit.
According to him, Ortom held meetings and provided vehicles ahead of the visit in an alleged attempt to create the impression that the state government was responsible for preventing Obi from accessing Yelwata.
“The evidence is very clear. His house was used for a meeting. Most of the vehicles used in the whole of that visit were donated by him,” Gbenda said.
He alleged that Ortom’s residence in George’s Quarters was used for a meeting, while vehicles allegedly belonging to the former governor were used to convey people to and from the airport.
Gbenda further alleged that Ortom organised the disruption after details of the planned visit became public, with the intention of portraying the state government as responsible for blocking Obi’s access to the community.
The allegations were challenged during the interview, with the interviewer cautioning Gbenda against making accusations without sufficient evidence. Gbenda, however, maintained that Ortom had admitted that his residence was used for a meeting and that he provided vehicles for Obi’s visit, which he said supported his claims.
He also alleged that the former governor was attempting to maintain political relationships with both Obi and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gbenda further accused politicians of exploiting insecurity in Benue for political purposes and urged political actors to campaign on issues rather than use tragedies suffered by affected communities for political advantage.
“We don’t want our situation to be used for political campaigns. We are cautioning politicians,” he said.
He also called on political leaders visiting communities affected by insecurity to properly notify relevant authorities to allow adequate security arrangements to be made.
Gbenda expressed confidence in the prosecution of suspects arrested in connection with the 2025 Yelwata killings, saying Governor Hyacinth Alia had assured affected communities that those arrested would be prosecuted and appropriately punished if found guilty.
He also credited the state government’s road construction and resettlement efforts with improving access to some affected communities, noting that better roads had enabled security personnel to reach previously inaccessible areas.
Gbenda urged political parties, traditional institutions, community leaders and socio-cultural organisations to work together to prevent youths from being recruited as instruments of political violence ahead of the 2027 elections.
