Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential contender, has stated that no man or group has a monopoly on violence and that no one can prohibit him from visiting any region of the country.
Obi was reacting to the Benin City incident and following social media threats urging him not to visit specific sections of the country while visiting Peter University in Achina, Anambra State.
“I am a Nigerian, and I am free to go to any part of this country. It is a constitutional right that nobody can take away from me. But let me make it clear: nobody has a monopoly of violence,” he said.
He stated why he traveled to Rivers State despite a stern warning not to visit the state, noting that such threats did not discourage him from accepting an earlier invitation immediately after the Benin incident.
Obi, who has proclaimed his intention to run for president in 2027 on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed that there had been concerted efforts to keep him off the ballot but insisted that such moves would not stop him from achieving his ambition.
“I’m not desperate to be the president of Nigeria, but I’m desperate to see Nigeria work.
“Nigeria has collapsed and is already lying on the ground. Nigeria is not working because many rich Nigerians are greedy. They have everything they need but are still scavenging for more.
“No matter what they do, I must contest the election. Let them declare a free and fair contest, bring the ball to the center of the field, and declare it started, and let us see what happens.
“With their 30 governors, they should make the election free and fair,” Obi said.
Obi maintained that the country’s system was skewed against the poor and reiterated his belief that Nigeria should be a place where opportunities are open to all citizens.
“We want a country where the son of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,” he said.
Obi also revealed why he left the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress, citing long-running leadership issues inside the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) failure to respect court judgments.
“You all know that I’m now in ADC. People have been asking why I left LP. We had been in court over the leadership of the Labour Party and secured favorable judgments, but INEC refused to recognize them.
“When I left on December 31, the same orders they were rejecting were suddenly recognized in January,” he said.
He also claimed that certain constitutional amendments were being considered to frustrate his political ambition.
