NBA has slammed Okpebholo over attempt to ban Peter Obi and ADC also warned against political intimidation.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has come down hard on Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, over his controversial attempt to bar former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, from entering the state, a move the association says blatantly violates the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens.
In a strongly worded statement, the NBA emphasized that no state governor has the legal authority to restrict the movement of any Nigerian within the federation, describing Governor Okpebholo’s comments as not only unconstitutional but a dangerous overreach of executive power.
Echoing similar sentiments, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) condemned the governor’s remarks as part of a troubling trend of political intolerance. At a press conference in Abuja, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, warned that attempts to intimidate opposition figures would be met with stiff resistance.
“Such actions,” Abdulahi noted, “are increasingly becoming a recurring theme in Nigeria’s political landscape, one that threatens democratic engagement and free participation in public life.”
In response to the backlash, Governor Okpebholo defended his position, insisting his concerns were rooted in security considerations. He denied issuing any threats to Peter Obi and clarified that his comments were merely a call for prominent figures to notify appropriate authorities and obtain security clearance before visiting or holding public events in the state.
Nonetheless, the controversy has further ignited debates over abuse of power and the shrinking space for political opposition in Nigeria’s evolving democracy.