PETER OBI FINALLY CONQUERS BENUE, BUT WHERE WAS GOVERNOR ALIA?
There is an old saying that the third time is the charm. For Peter Obi, his latest visit to Benue State appears to have given that saying a political meaning.
After two unsuccessful attempts to visit communities affected by insecurity in the state, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) finally made it to Benue, travelled from Makurdi to Gboko, paid homage to the Tor Tiv, visited the College of Nursing Sciences and proceeded to Yelwata, where he sympathised with victims of the 2025 massacre.
But beyond the humanitarian gestures, political engagements and ₦25 million in pledges, one particular aspect of the visit deserves closer examination: the sudden improvement in the political weather between Peter Obi and Governor Hyacinth Alia.
THE FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS: WHEN A VISIT BECAME A POLITICAL PROJECT
Obi’s relationship with Benue’s political gatekeepers has not exactly been a smooth one.
His first planned humanitarian visit in April 2025 ran into objections from the state government, which cited security and protocol concerns. His second attempt in September 2026 ended dramatically when his convoy was confronted by suspected political thugs along the Makurdi-Gboko road.
The NDC and its supporters alleged political sabotage, while the state government denied responsibility for the disruption.
It was an embarrassing episode for a state that prides itself on hospitality.
Apparently, extending hospitality to visitors is easier when they are not perceived as political competitors.
But Obi returned. And this time, the road was open.
Perhaps somebody finally remembered that Benue State belongs to all Nigerians, not just those who agree with the government of the day.
GOVERNOR ALIA’S TELEPHONE CALL: A LESSON IN STATESMANSHIP OR POLITICAL DAMAGE CONTROL?
In his post-visit message, Obi expressed appreciation to Governor Alia, revealing that he had sent him a message before travelling to Benue and that the governor personally returned his call to assure him of a warm welcome.
That was a commendable gesture. Political differences should never become an excuse for hostility, intimidation or the denial of citizens’ constitutional freedoms.
However, there is one question the governor’s admirers should not be uncomfortable answering.
If Governor Alia could personally return Obi’s call and assure him of a warm reception, why could he not make time to meet him?
Was the governor too busy, was there a scheduling conflict, or was this a carefully calculated political distance?
We may never know.
But there is something curious about a situation where a governor has time to telephone a visiting presidential candidate to welcome him but apparently cannot find time to shake his hand.
Perhaps the governor wanted to demonstrate statesmanship without appearing to endorse his political visitor. If so, he succeeded in achieving half the assignment.
A handshake would not have transferred the Benue Government House to the NDC.
BEYOND POLITICS: THE REAL MEANING OF THE VISIT
Obi’s ₦10 million pledge to the College of Nursing Sciences in Gboko, another ₦10 million for the education of Yelwata orphans and ₦5 million for a borehole deserve recognition.
These interventions cannot compensate for lost lives, but they offer practical assistance to institutions and families struggling with difficult realities.
His visit to the Tor Tiv and the town hall meeting with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso also carried political significance as the NDC prepares for 2027.
Ultimately, the lesson from this visit is bigger than Peter Obi, Alia or the NDC.
Benue needs political tolerance, not political gatekeeping. It needs leaders who understand that opposition politicians are not enemies of the state.
Three attempts, two disappointments and finally one successful visit.
Indeed, three times is the charm.
But the bigger achievement would be a Benue where nobody needs three attempts, a governor’s telephone call or political connections to visit grieving citizens.
That is the kind of hospitality worth celebrating.
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