Lawyers under the umbrella of the Obidient Lawyers Forum have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to provide special protection for Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1648/2026, was filed against President Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Governor of Edo State.
According to the plaintiffs, the application became necessary to prevent Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, from becoming a victim of political assassination before or during the 2027 election campaign.
The legal action followed remarks allegedly made by Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, suggesting that Obi’s safety could not be guaranteed in the state unless he obtained the governor’s approval before visiting.
Represented by Barristers Okere Kingdom Nnamdi and Joseph Enemona Ameh, the lawyers filed the fundamental rights enforcement suit on Obi’s behalf, asking the court to affirm his constitutional right to move freely across Nigeria without intimidation or restriction.
The plaintiffs urged the court to declare that Obi has the constitutional right to life and to live free from threats, intimidation, harassment, discrimination and political persecution under Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
They also requested a declaration affirming Obi’s right to enter, reside, campaign, hold meetings and conduct lawful political activities in any of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory without fear of harassment or violence, relying on Sections 39, 40, 41 and 42 of the Constitution.
The suit further asked the court to declare Okpebholo’s alleged comments unconstitutional, unlawful and an abuse of executive authority.
The lawyers argued that President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has a constitutional duty to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, including presidential candidates, by directing security agencies to provide adequate protection.
They also asked the court to compel the police, DSS and other security agencies to immediately deploy security personnel and intelligence resources to protect Obi and every other 2027 presidential candidate.
In a supporting affidavit, the plaintiffs cited Paragraph 3(e) of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, stating that the suit was filed in the public interest on Obi’s behalf.
The affidavit also referred to a recent live podcast in which Obi allegedly said he “may not be alive to contest next year’s presidential election”, arguing that repeated threats had caused him psychological trauma and infringed on his constitutional rights.
The plaintiffs maintained that no government official has the authority to prevent any Nigerian from entering or leaving any part of the country for lawful purposes and insisted that the police, DSS and other security agencies are constitutionally bound to protect citizens’ lives and property.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
