The Benue State Government has called for an explanation from former Governor Samuel Ortom over a vehicle allegedly linked to him that was reportedly used to transport Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during his recent visit to Makurdi.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Sir Tersoo Kula, raised the matter at a press conference held at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi on Friday, 11 September 2026. According to Kula, preliminary findings from an investigation into Obi’s arrival showed that a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GWA 608 BT, registered in Abuja, was used to convey the former Anambra State governor from the Makurdi Airport.
Kula said a check of Federal Road Safety Corps records allegedly linked the vehicle to former Governor Samuel Ortom. The records reportedly listed the owner as Dr Samuel Ortom, with an address at Judges’ Quarters, Makurdi, and identified the vehicle as a Toyota Land Cruiser.
The development, according to the governor’s spokesman, raises questions about Ortom’s political position ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly because the former governor had reportedly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid. Kula questioned how someone publicly supporting President Tinubu could allegedly make his vehicle available for the movement of another presidential aspirant.
He further alleged that Ortom, who remains influential within the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue, had played a role in the emergence of Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, as the party’s governorship candidate in the state. Kula described the situation as a possible contradiction between Ortom’s public political declarations and his alleged behind-the-scenes political activities.
The Chief Press Secretary also criticised Ortom’s eight-year administration as governor of Benue State, alleging poor governance and accusing the former governor of attempting to maintain political influence through allies and proxies.
The visit by Peter Obi had earlier generated controversy after youths reportedly blocked his convoy along the Gboko-Makurdi Expressway on Tuesday, 8 September 2026. The Benue State Police Command confirmed the incident but said the reason for the blockade was yet to be established. The Nigeria Democratic Congress subsequently accused the All Progressives Congress of mobilising the youths, while the ruling party denied the allegation and maintained that it does not engage in thuggery.
