Peter Obi Benue disruption has drawn condemnation from Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, who has called for fairness and consistency in media coverage of political incidents.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, criticised the reported disruption of Peter Obi’s visit to Benue State. He made his position known in a post on X on Wednesday.
According to reports, protesters stopped Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), from reaching the venue of his planned visit.
Keyamo said the incident should concern everyone who supports democratic values. He argued that the circumstances behind the protest should not determine whether the action receives condemnation.
The minister acknowledged claims that the disruption resulted from internal disagreements within the NDC. However, he also noted allegations that the protest could have been sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or another rival political group.
Regardless of who organised the protest, Keyamo said such actions should not be accepted in a democracy.
He called on the media to apply the same standards when reporting political disputes. In his view, political actors should not receive different treatment depending on their party or political interests.
The Peter Obi Benue disruption also raises wider questions about political tolerance ahead of future elections.
Nigeria’s democratic system allows citizens to disagree with political candidates and their policies. However, peaceful disagreement differs from preventing a candidate from attending a public engagement.
Therefore, political parties and their supporters face a responsibility to protect the right of candidates to campaign and engage with citizens.
The incident could also increase scrutiny of how political protests are organised and reported. At the same time, claims about those behind the disruption require credible evidence before conclusions are drawn.
For now, Keyamo’s intervention has placed media responsibility at the centre of the controversy.
The Peter Obi Benue disruption highlights the need for political reporting that applies consistent standards, verifies competing claims and avoids partisan treatment
