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Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has demanded the immediate release of one of his supporters, Rilwan Olawale, accusing the Federal Government of intimidation and harassment of citizens supporting his political ambition ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former Anambra State governor, in a statement posted on his X account, described Olawale’s arrest as the latest in what he alleged was a pattern of harassment of his supporters across the country.
Obi accused President Bola Tinubu of undermining democratic freedoms, insisting that Nigerians must be allowed to support candidates of their choice without fear of intimidation or persecution.
“The continued intimidation and harassment of my supporters across the country, the latest being the case of Rilwan Olawale, is disturbing and unacceptable.
“President Bola Tinubu has remained a huge beneficiary of our democracy and should not brazenly be destroying it by encouraging and facilitating violence.”
The NDC candidate maintained that his campaign remained peaceful and focused on issues affecting Nigerians, including competence, accountability, justice and compassion.
He said his supporters had deliberately chosen peaceful political engagement rather than confrontation, but warned that their restraint should not be interpreted as weakness.
“Our campaign is peaceful and issue-driven, focused on offering Nigerians a credible alternative built on competence, accountability, justice, and compassion.
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“We have chosen the path of peace, not violence; persuasion, not intimidation. However, nobody should mistake our civility for weakness, our restraint for fear, or our commitment to peace for an absence of resolve.”
Obi insisted that neither the government nor any political party had the right to prevent citizens from exercising their constitutional freedom to support political candidates.
He demanded transparency over the circumstances surrounding Olawale’s arrest, respect for his fundamental rights and an end to what he described as politically motivated harassment.
“I therefore demand transparency regarding Rilwan Olawale’s arrest, his release, respect for his rights, and an end to politically motivated harassment. No government or political party has the right to deny Nigerians the freedom to support a candidate of their choice,” he said.
The former governor reaffirmed his commitment to peaceful political participation but vowed to resist any attempt to suppress democratic rights through lawful means.
“We will remain peaceful but resolute. We will not resort to violence, but we will stand firmly and lawfully against every attempt to undermine our democratic rights.”
The statement did not provide details of the agency responsible for Olawale’s arrest, the allegations against him or his place of detention.
There was also no response from the Federal Government or the relevant security authorities in the material available at the time of filing.
