Obi, who disclosed that suspected political thugs had mobilised to attack participants at the meeting in Oregun, Lagos, said political actors encouraging violence against opposition supporters were endangering the country’s democratic process.
He, however, vowed that the NDC and its supporters would remain law-abiding despite provocations, insisting that violence would neither intimidate the party nor discourage Nigerians from participating in democratic activities.
This was contained in a statement Obi posted on his X handle yesterday, after the Lagos incident.
Obi declared: “The political violence being enabled by certain political actors against our supporters is an ill wind that blows no one any good. Anarchy consumes everyone.
“We will remain law-abiding, even in the face of extreme provocation.”
The former Anambra State governor also used the occasion to reaffirm the party’s commitment to protecting the integrity of forthcoming elections, stressing that electoral vigilance must extend beyond voting at polling units to the various stages of collation and declaration of results.
He said protecting the electoral process was a collective responsibility that required the active participation of political parties, their agents and citizens.
He said, “On the forthcoming elections, I remind participants that protecting the integrity of the electoral process is a shared responsibility.
“Every effort must be made to ensure that votes are properly protected, from the polling unit through ward collation to the final collation and declaration of results,” he stated.
Obi added that the NDC would discharge its own responsibility by deploying competent party agents to polling units to monitor proceedings and document the electoral process.
“Our party, the NDC, will also fulfil the responsibility to deploy competent agents to polling units to observe and document the process,” he said.
Recounting his activities in Lagos, Obi explained that he arrived from Abuja on Thursday to attend the commendation service of his late elder brother, Chief Sir Okey Ezibe, at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
He said the service formed part of activities preceding the funeral of Ezibe, whom he described as a distinguished businessman and people-builder.
According to him, he proceeded to Oregun after the service to participate in the Lagos edition of the NDC’s ongoing nationwide town hall meetings.
Obi disclosed that he had received information before arriving at the venue that a group of suspected thugs had mobilised to attack participants who arrived early for the meeting.
Despite the reported threat and disruption surrounding the gathering, he said the organisers proceeded with the engagement, during which participants raised concerns about the country’s economic and security challenges and the need to strengthen democratic institutions.
“Despite the disruption and the concerns surrounding the event, we proceeded with our town hall meeting,” he said.
He explained that the interactive session provided an opportunity for Nigerians to express their concerns about the country’s economic difficulties, rising cost of living, corruption, insecurity and the welfare of vulnerable citizens.
“As usual, participants raised important questions and concerns about reviving the economy, reducing the high cost of living, tackling endemic corruption, addressing insecurity, caring for vulnerable citizens, and protecting the integrity of our elections,” Obi stated.
Addressing the gathering, the former governor said the primary responsibility of any government was to guarantee the security of citizens and unite the country around a common national purpose.
He argued that national development would remain difficult to achieve without security, social cohesion and deliberate policies aimed at improving the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
“In my remarks, I emphasised that the first responsibility of any government is to secure the country and unite its people around a shared purpose,” he said.
Obi also outlined what he described as the NDC’s commitment to policies designed to reduce the cost of living, improve citizens’ welfare and prioritise investment in critical sectors of the economy.
He specifically identified healthcare and education as essential areas requiring aggressive investment, alongside policies to tackle poverty and provide support for vulnerable Nigerians.
“I also outlined our commitment to policies that will reduce the cost of living, improve the welfare of Nigerians, and aggressively invest in critical areas of development, particularly healthcare and education, while addressing poverty and the needs of vulnerable citizens,” he added.
On the reported attack, Obi urged party supporters and other Nigerians not to resort to violence, irrespective of the level of provocation they might encounter during political activities.
He maintained that defending democratic rights did not require the use of violence, urging supporters to remain peaceful while staying alert to attempts to undermine their participation in the electoral process.
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