Former Anambra governor Peter Obi says no one can stop him from visiting any part of Nigeria and insists he will contest the 2027 presidential election despite threats and alleged attempts to keep him off the ballot.
Former Peter Obi has said that no individual or group has a monopoly of violence, insisting that nobody can stop him from visiting any part of Nigeria. Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, made the remark while reacting to the Benin City incident and threats circulating on social media warning him against visiting certain parts of the country during a visit to Peter University in Anambra State.
Obi said the threats would not deter him from travelling across the country, recalling that he recently honoured an invitation to Rivers State despite warnings that he should not step foot there. “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.
The former governor, who has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, alleged that there have been orchestrated efforts to prevent him from appearing on the ballot but insisted he would not be discouraged. “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 centre of the field and declare it started, and let us see what happens.”
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