Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has warned that the recent threat issued by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, against the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, could spark dangerous ethnic tensions if left unchecked.
Governor Okpebholo had last week stated that Obi should not enter Edo State without prior security clearance, adding that his safety could not be guaranteed otherwise. The statement, which drew widespread criticism, was seen as both unconstitutional and provocative.
Reacting to the development in a statement released on Wednesday, Senator Wabara described the governor’s warning as “executive rascality taken too far.” He said such comments by a sitting governor could inflame hostilities between ethnic groups and were unbecoming of a public office holder.
“The governor’s provocative and unguarded utterance is capable of igniting ethnic tension between the good people of Edo whom Okpebholo misrepresented, and Obi’s hospitable Igbo kinsmen,” Wabara stated. He urged the governor to retrace his steps and offer an unreserved public apology to Mr. Obi.
Wabara reminded Governor Okpebholo that Section 41 (1) of the 1999 Constitution grants every Nigerian the right to move freely throughout the country and to reside in any part thereof. He stressed that no elected official has the authority to restrict the movement of any law-abiding citizen within the Nigerian state.
“It smacks of executive impunity and power intoxication for an elected governor to attempt to curtail the constitutional rights of a fellow citizen. This is a gross abuse of office,” the former Senate President said.
He further warned that such reckless political statements could sow seeds of ethnic division and damage national unity. “Public office holders should be civil, decorous and refrain from irresponsible vituperations capable of setting Nigeria on fire,” he cautioned.
Wabara, who has previously raised concerns about Nigeria sliding into a one-party state under the ruling APC, accused the party of suppressing dissenting voices. He also recalled that Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, had issued a similar warning to Obi in the past, suggesting a worrying pattern of intimidation against opposition figures.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to call his party’s governors to order and ensure that political power is not used as a weapon against perceived opponents.
“Peace and stability must be prioritized above politics. Nobody should push this country to the brink through political overzealousness,” Wabara concluded.
