The Akwa Ibom State branch of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has voiced its outrage over the police’s decision to cancel a two-million-man march organized by the “Obidient Movement” in Uyo, which was meant to support the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Reports indicate that the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, released a press statement cautioning all political parties against holding any rally or street march on Independence Day in the state, citing insufficient manpower to manage such a crowd.
In a statement signed by the state police public relations officer, DSP Timfon John, and shared with journalists on Wednesday in Uyo, political parties, groups, or associations were warned to cancel any planned procession in the city during the Independence Day celebrations.
“The Akwa Ibom State police command wishes to inform all political parties, political groups, associations, and other concerned stakeholders that, following credible intelligence available to the command indicating plans by some individuals to exploit scheduled political activities to cause disturbances and threaten public peace, and in the overriding interest of public safety and security, all approvals earlier granted for political rallies, meetings, processions, and other related public political activities scheduled to be held on Thursday, 1st October 2026, anywhere within Akwa Ibom State are hereby directed to be rescheduled,” the police statement read.
While speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the State Director of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Benjamin Smith, voiced his frustration and accused the police of sabotaging the planned two-million-man march for Obi/Kwankwaso in the state.
Smith stated that the directive came as an afterthought, since the police commissioner had previously approved their request to hold the rally in Uyo.
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He noted that the Obidient Movement had spent more than N20m to mobilize its supporters throughout the state’s 31 local government areas and questioned why the police would simply turn around and cancel the event without considering the financial burden on the organizers.
He further mentioned that the party had honored a police invitation on September 29, which included members of the planning committee for the proposed Akwa Ibom two-million-man solidarity march for Obi-Kwankwaso 2027.
Smith, who was joined by officers of the Obidient Movement and NDC chieftains, put the losses from the rally’s cancellation at around N20m and maintained that the movement and NDC would not tolerate any further cancellations going forward.
He urged supporters to remain law-abiding, promising that another scheduled rally would be announced to them.
He blamed the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, for the postponement, reminding them that they were once an opposition party yet were granted a fair playing field to campaign and win elections in the past.
