Activist Aisha Yesufu has described the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, as the most courageous politician in Nigeria, while defending his recent attempt to visit Yelwata in Benue State.
Yesufu made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, while discussing the controversy surrounding Obi’s visit to the community, where he had planned to meet families affected by the June 2025 attacks.
The activist compared Obi’s visit with previous visits to Benue and Plateau states by President Bola Tinubu, claiming that the President did not visit Yelwata during his last trip to Benue.
“There is no politician in Nigeria that is as courageous as Peter Obi,” Yesufu said.
She also referred to an earlier presidential visit to Plateau State, claiming that Tinubu did not enter Jos following an attack in Angwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area.
“We saw a situation whereby he went to Jos, he only stayed. That’s someone who is supposedly called the commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, right? He couldn’t even enter Jos,” she said.
Yesufu noted that Obi had previously visited Benue and was attempting to return to Yelwata as part of his efforts to engage with communities affected by insecurity.
She, however, said Obi needed to remain focused on his wider engagements rather than allow the incident to distract him.
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According to Yesufu, Obi had several engagements scheduled for the same day, including a planned visit to Plateau State before travelling to Europe.
“On that day, that was not the only trip that Mr Peter Obi was going to do,” she said.
“He was going to be in Benue; from Benue he was going to Plateau, and from Plateau he was going to Europe.”
Yesufu also criticised the Benue State Government over the security situation in the state, questioning the response of Governor Hyacinth Alia to attacks affecting residents.
She argued that Obi should not be drawn into confrontations with people attempting to disrupt his activities, particularly when he had other engagements to attend.
Yesufu said the people involved in the blockade should not be allowed to dictate how Obi responds to political or security-related situations.
She maintained that Obi’s visit to Benue was important and disclosed that she expected him to return to the state.
Obi’s planned visit to Yelwata on Tuesday was disrupted after youths reportedly mounted a roadblock along the Makurdi-Gboko highway, preventing his convoy from proceeding to the community.
The incident has generated political controversy, with Obi’s camp alleging that the protesters were sponsored, while the Benue State Government has denied involvement and said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the blockade.