Key points
- The police command ordered all political rallies and processions on Oct. 1 rescheduled, citing intelligence of plans to cause disturbances.
- Obidient Movement state director Benjamin Smith says the commissioner had earlier approved the rally and the group spent over N20 million.
- Smith blamed the APC for the cancellation and said the movement would not accept further cancellations.
The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress is furious after police canceled a planned two-million-man march in Uyo for presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Independence Day.
The state police command, under Commissioner Baba Azare, issued a statement on Wednesday ordering all approvals for political rallies, meetings and processions scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, to be rescheduled.
The command cited “credible intelligence” that some individuals planned to exploit political events to cause disturbances, and said public safety took precedence.
The statement, signed by police spokesperson Timfon John, applied to every political party, group and association in the state. Azare had earlier warned that the command lacked the manpower to control large crowds during the Independence Day festivities.
A costly reversal
The Obidient Movement, which organized the march, says the order came out of nowhere. At a press conference on Thursday, state director Benjamin Smith said the commissioner had already approved the rally, and that the movement had honored a police invitation on Sept. 29 along with members of its planning committee.
By then, the group had spent more than N20 million mobilizing supporters across all 31 local government areas of the state. Smith questioned why the police would “wake up and cancel the event” without regard for the cost to organizers.
He put the movement’s losses at N20 million and declared that the NDC and the Obidient Movement would not accept any further cancellations. Even so, he urged supporters to remain law-abiding and said a new date would be communicated.
Pointing at the APC
Smith went further, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of engineering the postponement. He reminded the party that it was once in opposition and had been allowed a level playing field to campaign and win.
The police statement did not name any party, and the APC has not responded to the accusation.
Meanwhile, the episode adds to friction between opposition parties and security agencies as the 2027 campaign season takes shape.
The ADC has already said it is preparing to “police its votes,” and Obi’s own camp has been trading barbs with Anambra Gov. Chukwuma Soludo over his record.
Consequently, a blocked rally in Akwa Ibom, a state where the NDC hopes to build on Obi’s 2023 support, lands as more than a scheduling dispute.
The NDC has not said whether it will challenge the police order or seek a fresh date before the campaign window formally opens.
