Benue visit: Lending Peter Obi my car a matter of courtesy – Ortom

Former Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom, has explained why he lent his vehicle to the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, during the latter’s recent visit to the state.

Ortom, through his media aide, Terver Akase, said he decided to assist Obi with transportation as a matter of courtesy, stressing that refusing to help a former governor and presidential candidate would have been “petty” and unbecoming of a former governor.

Obi had visited Benue last Tuesday as part of plans to meet victims and families affected by the June 2025 massacre in Yelewata.

The visit was part of Obi’s efforts to identify with residents affected by the attack and engage with families who lost loved ones in the incident.

Obi’s movement disrupted by youths

However, Obi’s planned movement from Makurdi to Yelewata was disrupted after youths reportedly blocked his convoy around Gyado Villa, a few kilometres from the airport.

The incident generated political controversy in the state, with questions subsequently raised over the circumstances surrounding Obi’s transportation after his arrival in Benue.

Following the incident, Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, alleged that Ortom was involved in facilitating Obi’s visit.

Tersoo said a state government investigation traced the vehicle used to convey Obi from Makurdi Airport to Ortom.

He identified the vehicle as a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GWA 608 BT, claiming that Federal Road Safety Corps records showed it was registered in Ortom’s name and linked to his Judges Quarters address in Makurdi.

The governor’s aide also questioned why Ortom, who has declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, would provide his vehicle to Obi, who is expected to be among the prominent contenders and political figures in the forthcoming election.

Ortom defends decision

But Ortom dismissed the suggestion that lending his vehicle to Peter Obi amounted to political collaboration.

The former governor said his decision was simply an act of courtesy towards a fellow former governor who was visiting the state for what he described as a humanitarian mission.

According to him, political differences should not prevent public figures from showing basic courtesy and humanity, particularly when someone visits a state to sympathise with victims of violence.

He said Obi, as a former governor and presidential candidate, deserved basic courtesy while visiting the state.

“Peter Obi is a former governor, a presidential candidate and one of the most prominent political figures in the country,” he said.

Ortom added that refusing to assist Obi would have been viewed as “petty, inhospitable and beneath the dignity of a former governor.”

He maintained that providing transportation for Obi should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the former Anambra governor’s political ambitions or as evidence of a fresh political alliance.

Gesture not political, Ortom insists

Ortom described attempts to politicise the gesture as “ridiculous and shameful”, accusing the Alia administration of creating controversy around what he called a “humane, courteous and statesmanlike gesture.”

He argued that helping Obi during his visit did not contradict his current political position or his decision to support Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The former governor said his support for Tinubu was already publicly known, just as his previous support for Obi during the 2023 presidential election was also a matter of public record.

Ortom also rejected claims that his action made him “double-faced”, noting that although he supported Obi in 2023, he had since publicly declared his support for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

He maintained that political support and personal courtesy were separate issues, insisting that his decision to lend his vehicle should not be interpreted beyond the circumstances in which it was made.

The former governor’s explanation comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general election, with leading political figures and former office holders increasingly attracting scrutiny over their alliances, public appearances and interactions.