By Abdullahi Abdulkareem
Former Sokoto State Governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has condemned the reported obstruction of the movement of former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, by some youths in Makurdi, Benue State.
Tambuwal, in a statement on Tuesday, described the reported incident as “unacceptable, undemocratic and dangerously inconsistent with the fundamental principles of constitutional democracy.”
He warned that allowing political intimidation and mob action to become tools of political competition could undermine Nigeria’s democratic stability and damage the country’s reputation.
According to him, Obi, like every other Nigerian, is constitutionally entitled to move freely across the country, engage citizens, attend lawful political activities and canvass for votes without intimidation, harassment or unlawful obstruction.
“Political differences must never become an excuse for intimidation, violence or brigandage. We must compete on the strength of our ideas, programmes and policies and, ultimately, allow Nigerians to make their choices freely at the ballot box,” Tambuwal said.
The former governor said the reported incident was particularly disturbing as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He cautioned against creating an atmosphere where political candidates are prevented from accessing communities because of their political affiliations or divergent views.
Tambuwal maintained that no individual, group or political organisation has the legal authority to determine who may enter a state, town or community, stressing that Nigeria belongs equally to all citizens irrespective of their political, ethnic, religious or regional identities.
He therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged obstruction, identify those responsible and take appropriate action if criminal conduct is established.
“This kind of rascality must not be tolerated, irrespective of who is involved or which political party is affected. Today, it may be Peter Obi; tomorrow, it could be another candidate,” he cautioned.
Tambuwal warned that failure to address such incidents decisively could embolden political thuggery and create a dangerous precedent in which candidates are physically prevented from campaigning in areas perceived to be hostile to them.
He urged political parties and their supporters to restrain their members and reject attempts to weaponise youths, ethnic sentiments or partisan mobilisation against political opponents.
According to him, democratic competition must be based on persuasion rather than coercion, ballots rather than brutality, and policies rather than provocation.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us, and every Nigerian must be free to move and participate in our democratic process without fear or intimidation,” Tambuwal said.
He further urged security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations and citizens to protect the democratic space and prevent a return to the electoral violence and intimidation that have threatened democratic consolidation in the past.
Tambuwal said an impartial investigation into the alleged Makurdi incident would not only protect Obi’s rights but also reinforce the principle that political intolerance, unlawful obstruction and mob action have no place in a constitutional democracy.
