By John Ugo, Awka
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over alleged secret arrests and intimidation of his supporters under the platform of Obi-dients Movement.
Obi who condemned the approach apparently deployed to silence opposition voices, stated that the right to peaceful assembly, campaigns and other civil liberties are clearly guaranteed in the constitution and cannot be subjected to brazen violation by security agencies and operatives.
Recently, supporters of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Obu, and his running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed Datti have been holding rallies in different cities of the country.
Sadly, some of the organizers were said to have been silently arrested by security operatives.
Obi in a post on his official Twitter handle said that elections cannot be deemed to be free and fair when a certain group deploys the tool of intimidation as a strategy to silence the opposition during campaigns and voting.
He urged the Nigerian government to caution security agents on the need to respect the rights of the citizens in the discharge of their duties.
“Elections are not deemed free and fair when a certain group employs the tool of intimidation to ensure that the opposition is silenced, both at the campaigns and at the polls.
“Peaceful assembly and unfettered electioneering campaigns are constitutionally guaranteed.”
“Both and other order liberties cannot be breached wilfully by security agents.
“Reports of supporters of Obi-dients Movement being silently arrested by security agents is extremely disturbing and condemnable.”
“We must ensure that everyone is given a level playing field in the forthcoming elections, and that no eligible Nigerian, is deprived irrespective of ethnicity, religion,” Obi added.