“There was an attempt on my life” – Peter Obi recounts incident with Benue Gov Alia

Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has alleged that there was an attempt on his life during a planned visit to Benue State in April 2025.

Obi made the claim while speaking at a high-level roundtable discussion themed “Nigeria in 2027 and Beyond”, organised by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin.

The former Anambra State governor said he had to cancel a planned humanitarian outreach to Benue State after the state government issued a cautionary statement advising him not to come.

He expressed disappointment over how the state government handled the proposed visit.

Recounting the episode in Berlin, Obi alleged that there were plans to assassinate him.

“You’re not aware that I wanted to go to Benue and the governor said I can’t come. You’re not aware that the governor said I shouldn’t come, and when I went there, there was a shootout,” Obi stated.

“What else do you need? Do you need somebody to die before you believe it? There was already a shootout when I tried to visit the place. Once they said, ‘Don’t come here.’ What else do you want me to tell you about the attempt on my life?”

Obi drew a connection with his decision to attend the Berlin event despite any potential risks, questioning what more proof was needed beyond the reported shootout.