Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has condemned the disruption of Peter Obi’s planned visit to Benue State, describing the incident as unacceptable in a democratic society.

Keyamo said Obi, like every other Nigerian, should be free to move around the country and engage in political activities without intimidation or obstruction.

He said the circumstances behind the incident were immaterial, whether the protest stemmed from internal disagreements within the New Nigeria Development Party (NNDP), as suggested by the Benue State Government, or was allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or another rival political group.

“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,” Keyamo said.

Obi had travelled to Benue to visit Yelwata, a community affected by recent attacks, but his convoy was reportedly blocked by protesters.

Reacting to suggestions that the visit may have been politically motivated or triggered opposition from some residents, Keyamo maintained that political disagreements could not justify restricting anyone’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 also accused sections of the media of applying different standards when reporting political confrontations involving opposition figures and members of the ruling party.

“When it concerns the opposition, then it is ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today,” he said.

Keyamo argued that similar threats allegedly issued by opposition politicians against APC candidates in some parts of the country had not received the same level of media scrutiny.

“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 added.

He urged politicians and their supporters to reject violence ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing that voters should use the ballot box to express their grievances.

“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 violence,” Keyamo said.