Follow Us on Google
Human rights lawyer and social critic, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on President Bola Tinubu and relevant security agencies to take preventive measures to protect the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ejiofor made the call in a statement following Obi’s recent expression of concern about his personal safety during an interview on Arise TV.
Obi had said he was uncertain whether he would remain alive until the 2027 election, prompting Ejiofor to urge the Federal Government to take the concern seriously and act before any potential threat escalates.
Ejiofor said Obi’s comments should not be dismissed as ordinary campaign rhetoric, arguing that they should instead trigger vigilance, proper inquiry and preventive action from relevant institutions.
“As I attentively listened to Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the NDC in the 2027 presidential election, speak during a prime-time interview on Arise TV a night ago, I was deeply struck by the gravity of his expressed apprehension about his personal safety and whether he would remain alive until the 2027 election,” he said.
The lawyer said the issue should concern Nigerians regardless of their political affiliation, ethnic background, religious persuasion or preferred candidate.
He also referenced recent difficulties allegedly experienced by opposition politicians during political activities, including the reported obstruction of Obi’s convoy in Benue State.
Ejiofor acknowledged that competing accounts had emerged over the Benue incident, noting that the police confirmed that Obi’s visit was known and that security personnel were providing protection, while responsibility for the reported obstruction remained disputed.
He called for reports of threats, inflammatory rhetoric and obstruction of opposition activities to be properly investigated rather than treated as established facts.
“Politics is a contest for the consent of the people; it is not a licence to barricade the people from hearing the alternatives before them,” Ejiofor said.
According to him, political parties and public officials have the right to support candidates of their choice, but such support should not prevent voters from accessing alternative political viewpoints.
Other News
“The political space belongs to the Nigerian people; it does not belong to any governor, political party or presidential candidate,” he said.
Ejiofor urged the Federal Government, security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties and state authorities to ensure that all presidential candidates can campaign peacefully and that Nigerians are free to listen to and support candidates of their choice.
“It is therefore incumbent upon the Federal Government, security agencies, INEC, political parties and state authorities to ensure that every presidential candidate enjoys the minimum conditions necessary to participate in a peaceful democratic contest,” he said.
He also raised concerns over alleged ethnic baiting and inflammatory rhetoric, urging relevant authorities to establish the facts and enforce the law where necessary.
Ejiofor specifically called on Tinubu, as President and Commander-in-Chief, to ensure that the security and democratic rights of all political contestants are protected ahead of the election.
He warned that any serious incident involving Obi could have consequences beyond the individual and affect the wider political environment.
“If anything should happen to Peter Obi, God forbid, the consequences would extend far beyond the individual concerned,” he said.
Ejiofor said the priority should be to prevent political violence and ensure that the 2027 contest is ultimately determined through the ballot and the law rather than intimidation, coercion or violence.
“The real test is whether the Nigerian Republic can conduct a political contest in which every legitimate contestant can campaign, every citizen can listen, every party can organise peacefully, and every disagreement is ultimately settled by the ballot and the law rather than by intimidation, coercion or violence,” he said.
He added that Nigeria should take preventive measures before potential threats develop into a crisis, stressing that the country should not wait for tragedy before acting.
