The Obidient Movement has issued a sharp rebuke to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, warning that he will be held responsible should any harm befall former presidential candidate Peter Obi. The statement, released Saturday by the group’s Director of Strategic Communications Nana Kazaure, was prompted by a viral video where the governor allegedly said Obi must seek clearance before entering Edo State and warned that his safety could not be guaranteed if he showed up unannounced.
Kazaure emphasised that Section 41 of Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees the right of every citizen to move freely and reside anywhere in the country. She denounced Okpebholo’s remarks as “unconstitutional, dangerous, and indefensible,” noting that similar threats were previously made by the Governors of Benue and Anambra State. She stressed that Obi’s visits have been humanitarian, aimed at aiding vulnerable communities often neglected by their state governments.
Warning the governor not to trivialise his words, the Obidient Movement urged Nigerians and the international community to take the threats seriously. “Should anything untoward happen to His Excellency Peter Obi, Nigerians will know where to look,” Kazaure stated, reminding that governors are the chief security officers of their states and that their utterances carry real-world consequences.
