By Our Reporter
A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved the hearing of a suit seeking an order compelling President Bola Tinubu to provide maximum security for the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Party (NDP), Mr. Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1648/2026, asks the court to affirm Obi’s constitutional right to life and security, as guaranteed under Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution, and to protect him from alleged threats, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, and politically motivated attacks.
The applicants are also seeking a declaration that Obi should not be subjected to coercion, victimisation, or any form of intimidation by any arm of government, security agency, individual, or group on account of his political beliefs, ethnicity, religion, or any other reason.
Central to the suit are alleged threats attributed to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo. The applicants urged the court to declare as unlawful the governor’s reported remarks that Obi’s security could not be guaranteed in Edo State and that he should not visit the state without obtaining clearance.
According to the suit, such statements are “empty, not backed by law, anti-democratic, illegal, unlawful and tantamount to executive rascality, infantile politicking and power drunkenness.”
The legal action was instituted by lawyers Okere Kingdom Nnamdi and Joseph Enemona Amen, alongside the Incorporated Trustees of Rights For All, a non-governmental organisation.
Named as defendants are President Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Governor Okpebholo.
The court has admitted the case for hearing, although no date has yet been fixed for proceedings.
