The All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition factions disputed the assertion made by Peter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate for the Nigerian Democratic Congress, regarding potential threats to his life, with the ruling party labeling the claim as unfounded.
The Nigerian Democratic Congress, the Obidient Movement Worldwide, and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party claimed the federal government is targeting opposition leaders and cautioned that it would be accountable if anything were to happen to the former Anambra State governor.
The responses came after Obi’s comments in an interview with media figure Chude Jideonwo, where he asserted that the FG had been hindering his efforts and those of other opposition leaders, noting that he may not even be alive to run in the 2027 presidential election.
In reply to a query about the chance that he could be absent as a candidate in 2027, Obi stated, “Not even a candidate. I could potentially not be alive. I am informing you.
“Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating it, deliberately so, everything. So, there is even a possibility that, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive.”
He, however, made it clear that he was not making direct accusations but described daily experiences of obstruction.
“It’s not an accusation. I know. I get frustration every day. Because you do things that you think would be normal—they are not normal anymore.
“They won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in virtually everything,” Obi said.
Speaking on whether the APC government was attacking him personally, the former Anambra State governor said the alleged treatment extended to members of the opposition.
“They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally. I am being attacked personally. Everything. Even to provide me with necessary things that I should have been entitled to, not at all,” he said.
Obi mentioned an incident at an airport where he claimed officials locked his car despite other vehicles being parked in the same area.
“I had a case recently at the airport, where people who work in the airport came and locked my car, my car. And I said, ‘It’s me.’ The person in charge said he doesn’t care.
“But I said, ‘Look at the cars of other people.’ And you could see them talking to each other, as if to say, “Who is this one?”
He also claimed that some people now avoided publicly associating with him for fear of becoming targets.
“And I see people I know at the airport; they will not greet me because they are fearing that if they greet me…”
The former Anambra State governor also claimed that some supporters had discouraged him from attending family events.
“And I have people send me invitations and say, ‘It’s my son’s, my daughter’s wedding, but please don’t come,’” he said.
Obi did not give evidence to support his allegations during the interview, and the federal government had yet to respond to his claims as of the time of filing this report.
In response, APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru, in an exclusive interview with the press, rejected Obi’s claims as unfounded, maintaining that the party was concentrated on governance and would once again beat the opposition in the 2027 election due to its achievements.
Basiru stated that the APC continued to prioritize effective governance and was optimistic about overcoming the opposition once more in 2027.
“Obi has no relevance. Obi has been consigned to irrelevance, going by what the Nigerian people have been saying since that time. Obi and other opposition leaders have not made any showing in any electoral contest. The new party, NDC, we saw in the election three weeks ago in Ekiti and in some by-elections—they were not even known by the Nigerian people,” the APC chieftain said.
“So, maybe Obi needs a psychiatric evaluation to know whether or not he is hallucinating. As far as we are concerned, the statement he made was born out of hallucination.
“APC is focused on delivering good governance that will renew the hope of all citizens. We are not bothered about Obi and other opposition leaders. We have defeated them in the past, and we will defeat them again in 2027 because our party has done well.”
The APC chieftain added, “The opposition has continued to resort to baseless allegations instead of presenting credible alternatives to Nigerians. Rather than engaging in fear-mongering and spreading unfounded claims, they should focus on explaining their programs and policies to the electorate.
“In the APC government, our priority remains the implementation of policies that improve the lives of Nigerians, strengthen the economy, enhance security, and create opportunities for all citizens. We remain confident that our performance will speak for itself, and Nigerians will make their decision based on facts and results in 2027. And they will re-elect APC again.”
The NDC’s National Publicity Secretary, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, expressed that the party was alarmed by Obi’s assertions and blamed the federal government for not ensuring sufficient security for the opposition leader.
Abdulsalam said, “I read the statement credited to His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, our presidential candidate, earlier today (Wednesday). And I must say that I was seriously disturbed. It was very concerning.
“Again, I must say the government of the day under President Bola Tinubu is not doing very well in terms of caring to provide security for him. We, as a party, believe that somebody of the caliber of Mr. Peter Obi, a two-time presidential candidate who did very well and garnered a lot of votes from all the nooks and crannies of this country, should have been treated better than the way the federal government is currently treating him.
“It is even looking like the establishment is actually not interested in his security. If you see Obi, it is not that he has decided to keep modest security around him. He has been denied. They have systematically ensured that he does not get adequate security protection.
“And as a party, we will hold the federal government responsible if anything happens to him because it is not about the state actors. There are non-state actors also who do not like him and may want to attempt something, either to intimidate, do bodily harm, or even attempt to take his life, as he has alleged. Nothing is impossible.”
He added, “We were all witnesses to what happened to former President Muhammadu Buhari when he was attacked in Kaduna during the presidential campaign some time ago. Credit must be given to former President Goodluck Jonathan because we remember clearly that he provided him not just enough security officers from the DSS, army, and police but also ensured that he gave him a bulletproof jeep.
“So, somebody in the standing of Peter Obi ought to have been treated better the way Jonathan treated Buhari. So, he is here today; he might not be there tomorrow. Any of his close relatives might also be vying for the presidency tomorrow. How does he expect to be treated when he is treating another leader in this manner, simply because he has power?
“I think it’s a matter that we as a party are not happy about because the attempt on his life is very clear. When he went to Edo State, thugs were sent to attack him, and they rained bullets on his vehicles. It was very obvious.
“Today, he is not being given adequate security. There is no special security protection for him, who is a main challenger going for a presidential contest. It is unheard of and unprecedented in the annals of the political history of Nigeria.
“So, as a party, we call on Mr. President to ensure that he provides adequate security to our presidential candidate, his running mate, and all the candidates who are contesting. This is because under the Nigerian Constitution, they are entitled to it, especially at times like this, when they become very vulnerable.”
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement Worldwide, responded, saying Obi’s words reflected the rising issues faced by both the former governor and his supporters.
“Peter Obi is just trying to tell you the level of decay in our system and also being futuristic on how dangerously inclined this government can go, not only for himself but for all of us that are following him. ” That is as bad as it can get.
“I remember granting an interview yesterday (Tuesday) when somebody called to tell me that we should all be careful. I don’t know where that is coming from in a democratic setting. So, if His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, is giving a synopsis of some of the things he is facing as an individual, you will find it difficult to believe that virtually almost all of us are in danger.
“We are more or less like an endangered species in the quest for good life for Nigerians. That is the situation as we find ourselves. So, it is good that he has raised it in the public domain so people will know the level of challenge and frustration that he is facing,” Tanko said.
“At the moment, he has traveled and is presently in America for a program. On several occasions, he has been frustrated within Nigeria. For instance, we went to Bauchi, where he was supposed to deliver a lecture at the university; they stopped him. Obi was supposed to deliver a lecture at Ahmadu Bello University; he was stopped. He was supposed to deliver another lecture at the University of Calabar; they stopped him again.
“He was supposed to also deliver a lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. I was strictly involved in all of this. That one too was stopped. So you can see the level of frustration? He was trying to engage the Nigerian students. But these people always devise a means to stop him using all the mechanisms of the schools to prevent him from delivering those lectures to the youths.
“So, His Excellency is going through a lot. We are only taking some of the synopses of some of the things that he is going through. When he mentioned it, he was just trying to tell you the level at which these people can go. That is the truth.”
