Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has condemned the blockade of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during his visit to Benue State, describing the incident as unacceptable in a democracy.
Obi’s convoy was reportedly stopped by protesters while he was on his way to Yelwata, a community that suffered deadly attacks, sparking controversy over the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Speaking with Vanguard, Keyamo said it was wrong to prevent Obi from moving freely, regardless of the political affiliation or identity of those behind the protest.
“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,” he said.
Although the minister acknowledged claims that Obi’s visit may have had political undertones, he insisted that such considerations could not justify obstructing the opposition presidential candidate.
“That is still not acceptable; everyone should be allowed to move about freely and play their politics without such crude interference,” Keyamo said.
The minister also turned his attention to the media, accusing some outlets of applying different standards when reporting protests and confrontations involving politicians from rival political parties.
According to Keyamo, crowds confronting APC candidates are sometimes portrayed as evidence that the politicians have been rejected by Nigerians, while similar incidents involving opposition figures are framed as attacks allegedly carried out by sponsored thugs.
“When it concerns the opposition, then it is ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today,” he said.
Keyamo further alleged that some opposition politicians had threatened that APC candidates would be attacked if they visited certain parts of the country or openly identified with the ruling party.
He faulted sections of the media for failing to sufficiently condemn such statements, insisting that political reporting should be guided by fairness rather than partisan considerations.
“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,” the minister said.
The aviation minister urged politicians and their supporters to exercise restraint as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
He maintained that political disagreements should be resolved through democratic means, stressing that dissatisfied voters have the opportunity to reject candidates at the polls.
“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 violent acts during campaigns,” Keyamo cautioned.
