Yelwata: Politic Invades The Grave As Omo-Agege Cries Foul Over Obi Attack In Benue
LAGOS SEPTEMBER 9TH (URHOBOTODAY)-‘No one should need a party card to mourn’ — Ex-Senate Deputy President demands probe into alleged obstruction of Obi’s visit.
A condolence visit to the violence-ravaged Yelwata community in Benue State has erupted into a fresh political controversy following reports that NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was allegedly prevented from reaching the grieving community, prompting former Deputy President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to accuse political actors of dragging partisan politics into the mourning of the dead.
Omo-Agege, the NDC candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District in the 2027 elections, described the reported obstruction as a “national disgrace”, warning that the alleged politicisation of grief represented a disturbing new dimension in Nigeria’s increasingly heated political environment.
According to him, Obi visited Yelwata to mourn with residents whose lives had been devastated by violence and to offer comfort to families who, he said, had lost more than 270 members of their community.
But the visit was reportedly met with organised hostility that prevented Obi from reaching the community.
Omo-Agege said the alleged incident could not be dismissed as a routine disagreement between political parties, arguing that there was a fundamental difference between challenging an opponent’s political views and preventing a peaceful act of condolence.
“What kind of politics has Nigeria descended into when even mourning the dead requires political permission?” he asked.
He said grieving families should be free to receive visitors regardless of political affiliation.
“There is nothing political about preventing grieving families from receiving visitors who come to share their pain,” Omo-Agege said.
He warned that allowing political intimidation to become normalised could have consequences for every political party and community in the country.
“Today, it is Peter Obi being prevented from visiting grieving Nigerians. Tomorrow, it could be another political leader, another community or another group of victims,” he said.
The former senator is now demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged obstruction.
He specifically challenged the authorities to establish who organised the incident, who mobilised those involved, who financed them and who allegedly issued instructions.
He also questioned the role of security agencies, asking whether they were aware of the situation and, if so, what steps they took.
“Were security agencies aware of the situation, and if so, what action did they take?” he asked.
Omo-Agege warned against any attempt to bury the controversy under partisan arguments.
“There must be no cover-up, political protection or convenient silence,” he declared.
He also rejected the idea that Yelwata’s tragedy could be claimed by any political party.
“Yelwata’s tragedy is not the property of the APC, PDP, Labour Party or NDC. The dead belong to Nigeria, and their families belong to all of us,” he said.
In a pointed reference to political rights, Omo-Agege maintained that even if Obi had travelled to Yelwata to campaign, his constitutional rights to freedom of movement and association should still be respected.
But, he stressed, the reported purpose of the visit was to mourn.
“No one should need a party card to mourn with the bereaved,” he said.
The controversy comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political parties increasingly seeking to expand their influence across communities.
Omo-Agege warned that political competition must not cross the line into intimidation or interference with basic democratic freedoms.
He argued that public office carries responsibilities that transcend partisan loyalty, particularly when citizens are dealing with tragedy.
“If anyone in authority believes that political power gives them the right to determine who may visit victims of violence, they have fundamentally misunderstood the responsibilities of public office,” he said.
The NDC candidate said politicians should remember that elections are temporary, while the consequences of violence can remain with victims and their families for decades.
“Politics will come and go. Elections will come and go. Politicians will come and go. But the dead will remain dead, and the families left behind will continue to live with their pain,” he said.
Omo-Agege expressed solidarity with the victims, survivors and grieving families of Yelwata and condemned what he described as the use of thuggery, intimidation or political influence to frustrate a peaceful act of condolence.
He called for anyone found responsible for the alleged obstruction to be identified and held accountable.
For the Delta Central senatorial candidate, the Yelwata controversy has become a test of whether Nigeria can separate political rivalry from basic human compassion.
“Life comes first. Human dignity comes first. Compassion comes first. Always,” Omo-Agege said.
He prayed for the repose of the victims and for comfort for the people of Yelwata and Benue, while calling on Nigerians to reject what he described as the politics of hatred, intimidation and impunity.
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