Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has condemned the reported blockade of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi by protesters in Benue State, describing the incident as unacceptable in a democracy.
Speaking with Vanguard, Keyamo also criticised what he described as inconsistent media coverage of similar political incidents, alleging that some media organisations apply different standards depending on the political party involved.
The minister said the disruption of Obi’s planned movement should be condemned regardless of who organised the protest or the political affiliation of those involved.
“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.
Keyamo acknowledged reports that Obi’s planned visit to Yelwata, a community that had suffered deadly attacks, was viewed by some as politically motivated and had triggered opposition from protesters.
He maintained, however, that such grievances did not justify preventing the former Anambra State governor from moving freely.
“That is still not acceptable; everyone should be allowed to move about freely and play their politics without such crude interference,” Keyamo said.
Keyamo criticises media coverage
The minister said the incident should also encourage Nigerians to scrutinise what he described as partisan reporting of political protests.
According to Keyamo, some media outlets describe hostile crowds confronting APC candidates as evidence of widespread public “rejection”, while similar incidents involving opposition politicians are portrayed as attacks by “sponsored thugs” or “hoodlums”.
“When it concerns the opposition, then it is ‘attack’ by ‘sponsored thugs’ or ‘hoodlums’. Just check most headlines today,” he said.
Keyamo also alleged that some opposition politicians had threatened that APC candidates would face attacks if they visited certain parts of the country while openly identifying with the party.
He criticised what he described as insufficient media scrutiny of such statements and called for greater fairness in political reporting.
“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,” he said.
Minister urges political restraint
Keyamo called on supporters of all political parties to exercise restraint as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
He stressed that political disagreements should be resolved through democratic means and urged voters who oppose a particular candidate to express their views at the ballot box rather than through violence.
“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.
