Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south, has warned that Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, lacks the constitutional authority to restrict the movement of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023.
Last week, the Edo governor warned Obi not to come to the
state again without security clearance.
Abaribe, who chairs the south-east senate caucus, described
the statement by Okpebholo as a direct affront to Nigeria’s unity and a
violation of the 1999 constitution.
In a statement released on Wednesday by his media adviser,
Uchenna Awom, the senator said such threats from a sitting governor were
“unfortunate” and “dangerous” to the country’s democracy.
“It is disheartening that leaders who are supposedly the
custodians of the constitution would willingly lead its denigration in the name
of politics,” the statement reads.
“Nigeria is governed by laws. Governors across the country
subscribed to these laws and are bound to respect the rule of law as enshrined
in the constitution.”
Abaribe also questioned where Okpebholo derived the powers
to bar a Nigerian citizen from visiting Edo unless permission was sought.
“That is a dangerous threat to life that the authorities
should not gloss over,” he said.
Abaribe added that Nigeria is still a constitutional
democracy, noting that the freedom of movement is a right guaranteed to all
citizens.
“It is very unfortunate that it seems our dear country is
fast descending into lawlessness with this mindset, and I pray that nothing
happens to Mr Peter Obi,” he said.
He said Okpebholo, a former senator, should be aware that
Nigeria belongs to all and cannot be subjected to personal whims.
“The beauty of democracy lies in the freedom to hold
divergent views and to move freely across the federation, including Edo state,”
Abaribe said.
Meanwhile, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has
condemned the remarks by Okpebholo, saying any “threat” to Obi is a threat to
the entire opposition.
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