Key Takeaways

• Daniel Onjeh says those who confronted Peter Obi’s convoy were predominantly men in their 40s and 50s.
• He argues that the incident should not be presented as a rejection of Obi by Benue youths.
• Onjeh cited Obi’s strong showing in Benue during the 2023 presidential election.
• He said some youths contacted him after the incident to distance themselves from what happened.
• According to Onjeh, Obi’s visit to Yelwata was intended to sympathise with victims of violence rather than hold a campaign rally.
• He called on political actors to reject violence and allow voters to express their choices through the ballot.

Daniel Onjeh, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Benue South, has rejected the portrayal of people involved in the attack on Peter Obi’s convoy as representatives of Benue youths.

Onjeh, who said he was beside Peter Obi during the incident, maintained that the people who barricaded the convoy during the former Anambra governor’s attempted visit to Yelwata were predominantly middle-aged men.

He argued that describing the incident as an action by “Benue youths” could wrongly create the impression that young people in the state had turned against Obi.

The Dispute Over Who Was Behind the Attack

The incident has generated debate over who should be held responsible for the confrontation and whether the people involved can properly be described as representing Benue’s younger population.

Onjeh has strongly disputed that characterization.

According to him, the people who mounted the roadblock were not representative of Benue youths, arguing that their appearance and age were inconsistent with the description that had circulated following the incident.

He said the distinction was important because attaching the action of a group to an entire demographic could create a misleading picture of public sentiment in the state.

What Onjeh Says He Saw

Onjeh said his assessment was based not only on photographs and video footage circulating online but also on what he personally witnessed.

He maintained that he was standing close to Obi when the convoy encountered the barricade and therefore had an opportunity to see the people involved.

“Take a very close look at the footage and photographs that have circulated since the incident. Look carefully at the thugs carrying sticks and stones and those barricading the road.”

Onjeh added that his personal observation matched what could be seen in the available footage.

“It also corresponds with what I saw with my own eyes. I was standing right beside Mr Peter Obi and saw these men at close range. They were predominantly middle-aged men, many visibly in their 40s and 50s.”

The description is Onjeh’s characterization of the people involved and does not, by itself, establish the identity or broader affiliations of those individuals.

Why the 2023 Benue Vote Matters to His Argument

Onjeh also relied on the results of the 2023 presidential election to challenge the suggestion that Obi had been rejected by Benue youths.

He pointed to Obi’s performance in the state, where the Labour Party candidate recorded 308,372 votes, narrowly behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, who polled 310,468 votes.

Onjeh further said Obi secured more than 95,000 votes in Benue South, while the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates each recorded roughly 40,000 votes or less in the senatorial district.

For Onjeh, those figures provide important context when assessing claims about Obi’s relationship with young voters in the state.

He questioned why young people who supported Obi in significant numbers during the previous presidential election would suddenly be portrayed as the people responsible for preventing his entry into Makurdi.

“Young people constituted a potent part of that voting force. So, how can the same young people who came out in their numbers and voted overwhelmingly for Peter Obi suddenly be presented as the people who mobilised with sticks and stones to prevent him from entering Makurdi? It simply does not add up.”

He added:

“Peter Obi was not rejected by Benue, and he was certainly not rejected by Benue youths. His support in Benue is organic. It cannot be manufactured by government, and it cannot be extinguished by thuggery.”

Some Youths Reportedly Distance Themselves From the Incident

Onjeh said the reaction among some young people following the confrontation further reinforced his position.

According to him, several youths contacted him after the incident to express disappointment and make clear that they did not identify with what happened.

He also said some invited Obi to return to Benue so that they could receive him and demonstrate that the confrontation did not represent the views of the state’s young population.

However, those accounts remain part of Onjeh’s statement about reactions after the incident.

Obi’s Yelwata Visit Was Not Presented as a Campaign Rally

Another part of Onjeh’s argument concerns the purpose of Obi’s visit.

He said the trip to Yelwata was not a campaign event and was instead intended to allow Obi to sympathise with families affected by violence, meet survivors and displaced people, and show solidarity with victims.

Onjeh argued that if the objective had been a political rally, the organisers would have announced Obi’s arrival and mobilised supporters.

“This was not a campaign visit. Peter Obi did not want noise. He did not want fanfare.”

He said the convoy was stopped before Obi could reach other parts of Makurdi where he would have been able to interact with residents.

According to Onjeh, the location of the barricade therefore makes it difficult, in his view, to use the incident as evidence of the wider population’s attitude toward Obi.

“A barricade mounted by a handful of thugs at the exit from the airport cannot therefore be presented as the verdict of the people of Benue State.”

Onjeh Warns Against Speaking for Benue Youths

The NDC candidate has consequently appealed to journalists and political actors to be more careful when describing those involved.

His argument is that individuals involved in an act of violence should not automatically be presented as representatives of an entire generation or community.

“Do not speak for Benue youths with stones. Do not speak for them with sticks. Do not speak for them with a barricade. Allow them to speak for themselves.”

Onjeh also broadened his criticism beyond the immediate confrontation, warning that political violence could eventually affect supporters of different parties.

“Today it is Peter Obi. Tomorrow it could be the candidate of another political party.”

He argued that political disagreement should be settled through democratic participation rather than physical confrontation.

What the Incident Does — and Does Not — Establish

Onjeh’s comments establish his position on the incident, but they do not independently determine the identity, age, political affiliation or motivation of every person involved.

His reference to the 2023 election results also demonstrates that Obi previously attracted substantial support in Benue, but those results alone cannot establish the current political views of all Benue youths.

What remains central to the dispute is therefore the interpretation of the confrontation.

Onjeh says it should be viewed as the action of a limited group rather than evidence that Benue youths or the wider state rejected Obi.

His broader argument is that voters have a democratic avenue for rejecting a political candidate without resorting to violence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Daniel Onjeh?

Daniel Onjeh is the Nigeria Democratic Congress senatorial candidate for Benue South. He said he was present with Peter Obi when the convoy encountered the barricade.

What happened to Peter Obi’s convoy in Benue?

According to Onjeh, Obi’s convoy encountered a barricade during his attempted visit to Yelwata. Onjeh said the people involved should not be collectively described as Benue youths.

What did Onjeh say about the people involved?

Onjeh said they were predominantly middle-aged men, with many appearing to be in their 40s and 50s.

Why did Onjeh mention the 2023 election?

He cited Obi’s 2023 presidential election performance in Benue to argue that the former Anambra governor had significant support in the state, particularly among young voters.

Was Obi’s visit a campaign event?

Onjeh said it was not. He described the visit as an opportunity for Obi to sympathise with families affected by violence, meet survivors and displaced persons, and show solidarity with victims.

What did Onjeh say about political violence?

He argued that political disagreements should be settled through voting rather than violence, warning against allowing acts of thuggery to become associated with entire communities or groups of voters.

The Larger Question About Political Representation

At the heart of Onjeh’s response is a question about how political incidents are interpreted.

A confrontation involving a group of people can become politically significant when descriptions of those involved are extended to an entire demographic or state. Onjeh is challenging precisely that interpretation, insisting that Benue youths should be allowed to define their own political position.

He concluded his appeal with a direct distinction between violence and democratic choice:

“The answer to a candidate you do not support is not a stone. It is your vote.”

For Onjeh, the incident should therefore not be allowed to become a shorthand for the political position of Benue’s younger population.

“A barricade is not a ballot. Thuggery is not democracy,” he said.