Former Peter Obi said no individual or group has a monopoly on violence in Nigeria and insisted that no one can prevent him from visiting any part of the country.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, spoke during a visit to Peter University.
His remarks followed an incident in Benin City and threats circulating on social media warning him against visiting some parts of the country.
“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,” Obi said. “But let me make it clear, nobody has a monopoly of violence.”
Obi said the threats did not deter him from traveling to Rivers State after receiving warnings not to visit the state. He said he honored an earlier invitation shortly after the Benin incident.
The former governor, who has declared his intention to run in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, alleged there were orchestrated efforts to prevent him from appearing on the ballot.
“I’m not desperate to be the president of Nigeria, but I’m desperate to see Nigeria work,” he said.
Obi said Nigeria’s problems were driven in part by greed among wealthy citizens.
“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,” he said.
He added that he would continue to pursue his political ambition regardless of opposition.
“No matter what they do, I must contest the election. Let them declare a free and fair contest, bring the ball to the center of the field and declare it started, and let us see what happens,” Obi said.
“With their 30 governors, they should make the election free and fair.”
Obi also said Nigeria’s system works against the poor and called for equal opportunities for all citizens.
“We want a country where the son of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,” he said.
Explaining his departure from the Labour Party, Obi cited a prolonged leadership dispute within the party and what he described as the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognize court judgments.
“We had been in court over the leadership of the Labour Party and secured favorable judgments, but INEC refused to recognize them,” he said.
Obi said he left the party on Dec. 31, adding that the same court orders that had earlier been rejected were later recognized in January.
He also alleged that some constitutional amendments were being considered to frustrate his political ambition ahead of the 2027 election.
