A pro-Peter Obi political group, The Obidient Movement, has alerted Nigerians and the international community to what it termed threat to the life of Mr Obi by the Edo State Governor, Monday Okphebolo.

Mr Obi is a former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the opposition Labour Party in the 2023 general elections. 

In a statement by spokesperson for the Obidient Movement, Nana Kazaure, on Friday, the group condemned Mr Okphebolo for saying that Mr Obi was not safe visiting Edo State without his permission, recalling a similar threat from the Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia. 

The statement noted, “We wish to alert Nigerians and the international community that these threats should not be dismissed lightly. Should anything untoward happen to His Excellency Peter Obi, Nigerians should know where to look. These governors are the chief security officers of their respective states, and their utterances carry weight – not just in words, but in potential consequences.’’

Condemning Mr Okphebolo’s threat to Mr Obi’s life, The Obidient Movement said it violated Mr Obi’s freedom of movement as enshrined in the constitution.


It stated, “For the avoidance of doubt, Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the right of every Nigerian citizen to move freely and reside in any part of the country. It is therefore disturbing and constitutionally indefensible for Governor Okpebholo to threaten or seek to restrict this fundamental right. Even more troubling is the pattern emerging from such dangerous utterances. This is not an isolated incident.”


In a viral video on Friday, Mr Okphebolo stated that Mr Obi should not enter Edo State without his permission.

He stated, “The man wey say him no get shishi, I’m sending a direct message to him. There is a new sheriff in town. He cannot enter without telling me. Because his security will never be guaranteed. Whatever happens to him when he is in Edo State, let him take it. I’m serious about it. He came the other day and donated N15 million. By the time he left there was a crisis, three people died in Benin City. So, tell Obi, he should not come to Edo State without telling me.”


Mr Okphebolo’s statement followed Mr Obi’s visit to the Philomena College of Nursing Sciences in Benin City, Edo State.