The youth arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, has condemned what it describes as a disturbing threat issued by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, against former presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Governor Okpebholo reportedly warned on Friday that Obi should not visit Edo State without his express permission, stating that any visit outside his approval would come with consequences.

The remark has triggered widespread criticism across the country.

In a strong-worded statement titled “An Urgent Call for Action”, the National President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, described the governor’s statement as an “assassination threat.”

“It is unbecoming of a sitting governor, and someone who was a parliamentarian, the main symbol of the country’s democracy,” Okwu said.

“We consider it reprehensible and utterly debasing that a sitting governor could publicly dish out this threat against an innocent citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Okwu added that the remarks pose a serious threat to Obi’s safety and demanded immediate intervention from the presidency and national security agencies.

“Let us make this loud and clear, the Edo governor’s threat against the life of Mr Peter Obi is considered an assassination threat, and we are not taking it lightly. Should anything happen to Mr Peter Obi, the entire world knows who to hold responsible,” he declared.

The youth leader called on President Bola Tinubu to speak out against the statement and caution Governor Okpebholo.

“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Worldwide is calling on the Nigerian Government led by President Bola Tinubu to rise to the occasion and call the Edo State governor to order.”

“We urge the presidency to publicly condemn the governor’s action, as we know it is not in the character of Mr President to condone such behaviour.”

Okwu further linked Okpebholo’s comments to a growing trend of political intolerance, referencing a similar incident involving Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia.

“This reckless action was started by Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, a man who ordinarily by virtue of his vocation should be a father to all, but has been beclouded by political braggadocio. Now, his fellow APC governor has even issued worse threats.”

He called on security agencies including the police and DSS to ensure the safety of Peter Obi and all Nigerians across party lines, while also appealing to the international community.

“We call on the police hierarchy and the DSS to reassure not just Mr Peter Obi but all Nigerians of their safety in any part of the country.”

Okwu urged the United States, the United Kingdom, and other allies to impose visa bans on Governor Okpebholo, whom he accused of undemocratic tendencies.

“He has given himself out as an undemocratic element, one who is not ready to allow dissenting voices.”

“We consider this a threat against the entire Igbo race and not just Peter Obi. Why is it that every now and then, it is about Peter Obi? Is he the only opposition politician in Nigeria? Enough is enough!”

“It is, therefore, our appeal that the United States, the United Kingdom and all their allies should place an immediate visa ban on the governor of Edo State.”

He concluded by warning that unchecked political threats could endanger the 2027 general elections and Nigeria’s democratic stability.

“As Nigeria soon heads to the 2027 general elections, this will serve as a deterrent to others who may make provocative and inciting statements capable of derailing the country’s democracy.”

Jude Ezenwafor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the upcoming Anambra governorship election, was reportedly shot by unknown assailants late Friday night in Abuja.

According to eyewitness sources, the attack occurred near Wuse 2 while Ezenwafor was returning home from a private engagement.

The PDP candidate, who emerged unopposed for the November 8, 2025 election, sustained serious injuries during the assault and was rushed to a private hospital.

Medical personnel at the facility are said to be preparing for emergency surgery to remove bullets lodged in his body.

Two individuals who were with Ezenwafor during the attack also suffered injuries and are currently receiving medical care.

At the time of reporting, the identities of the shooters remained unknown, and their motive is still unclear. Police authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

When contacted for comment, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, said,

“I am not aware. I have not been informed.”

Within the PDP, sources expressed concern that the incident could disrupt the party’s campaign schedule, depending on the extent of Ezenwafor’s injuries and the timeline for his recovery.

As preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify, the South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum (SELF) has raised concerns over former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, possibly pulling out of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.

The group believes Obi is considering leaving the alliance due to fears he may not secure the presidential ticket.

In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Benjamin Kolowei, SELF claimed to have reliable information that Obi could abandon the ADC coalition in a move reminiscent of his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prior to its 2022 presidential primary.

The group warned that if Obi insists on pressuring the coalition to zone the presidential ticket to the South, it may provoke reactions from Northern political blocs, who could push back against what they see as Southern dominance of the presidency over the past 18 years.

SELF also questioned Obi’s reluctance to participate in competitive internal party elections under the ADC coalition, which is chaired by former Senate President David Mark.

They urged the ADC leadership not to succumb to regional pressures, but rather to allow all members to contest fairly.

“We note that Mr. Peter Obi and his Obedient movement, in recent times, have resorted to threatening and blackmailing the leadership of the coalition.”

“We make bold to tell the former Anambra governor that such strategy will not work, in fact, it has failed woefully,” the group said.

The forum further criticized Obi’s political history, suggesting he has repeatedly avoided primaries and sought uncontested tickets.

“Records have shown that Mr. Obi has a history of running away from primary elections, which is a major aspect of democratic culture.”

“If Mr. Obi claims to be a democrat, why is he always avoiding primary elections? Why is he looking for a free presidential ticket? He did that as a governor and, as recently as 2023, Mr. Obi abandoned PDP when it was time for the primary election.”

SELF emphasized its commitment to preserving democratic values and holding leaders accountable:

“As a forum of professionals and emerging leaders, we will not fold our hands and tolerate Peter Obi frustrating the ongoing arrangements to rescue our nation and have a credible alternative to the APC.”

The statement continued with a sharp rebuke of what the forum described as Obi’s self-righteous political posture:

“We hereby call on Mr. Peter Obi to stop his pretentious lifestyle, as if he is a saint or the only Messiah Nigeria is waiting for. If Mr. Obi wants to participate in a democratic contest, he should respect the rules of the game.”

“Though he has never fought for or contributed to the development of the democratic process in Nigeria, so he does not know what it takes.”

“Obi and his Obedients should learn early that democracy is about contest, not about free lunch or free ticket. It is not about blackmail.”

According to the forum, it has credible information that Obi may have already secured another political platform, which he could unveil soon:

“If Obi is looking for where he will be given a free presidential ticket, the door is open. Although we have gathered reliably that Mr. Obi has secured another platform, which he will soon unveil to contest in 2027, it is high time the leaders of the ADC coalition do not sleep with their two eyes closed.”

“We are making it public that Peter Obi is not ready to cooperate and work with coalition leaders.”

Nevertheless, SELF urged the ADC coalition to ensure transparency and fairness in its selection process:

“We are appealing that the ADC national leadership should ensure a credible and transparent primary election that will produce an acceptable candidate.”

“Whoever wins the primary should be supported by all. If it is Peter Obi, if he still remains in the coalition, he should not be denied the massive support.”

As debates over local government autonomy continue across Nigeria, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has argued that expecting full autonomy for local councils under the present Constitution is unrealistic.

Speaking on Sunrise, a Channels Television programme aired on Saturday, Fashola, who also served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, pointed out that the influence of state governments and state assemblies over local councils undermines the very concept of autonomy.

“I think that the debate we must have, debate we must have, is whether we really want autonomous local governments. It’s a debate that must be had. As it stands today, it is unrealistic to expect autonomy for local governments created by the Constitution,” he said.

Fashola explained that since state Houses of Assembly are empowered to make laws for local governments, this automatically imposes an external influence, contrary to the core idea of self-governance.

“They were not meant to be autonomous; that is my view after a very close reading of certain provisions of the Constitution. Some of those provisions provide, for example, that the local government in its economic activities and all of that will have laws made for it by the state House of Assembly.

“If you look at the legal and ordinary meaning of the word, autonomy, it suggests that you are acting independently without any outside influence and authority, and to that extent, a state House of Assembly making laws for what and how a local government can function is in itself an external influence that contradicts the idea of autonomy.”

He also identified land control as a practical constraint, noting that most responsibilities assigned to local councils, such as managing abattoirs, cemeteries, schools, and healthcare centres, require land, which is under the authority of state governments.

“The next thing, of course, is to look in the Fourth Schedule of the constitution and look at all of the responsibilities that are assigned to local governments… all of those responsibilities are dependent on one item, land.

“And to the extent that the state government controls land, which affects how the local governments will carry out these functions, I didn’t think that autonomy was intended. Now, if we decide that we want autonomous local governments, those are some of the things we have to free up if that is our decision.”

He added: “So we must have an agreement, but as it stands, I don’t think that autonomy was intended. What I think was intended was some sort of collaboration, some sort of supervision, some sort of an oversight of the state over the local government, and that is inherent in what you will find in Section 162, which deals with the state’s joint local government account.”

Fashola further explained that poor fiscal responsibility by many local councils in the early years of democracy led to the introduction of the state–local government joint account.

“And there’s history behind the enactment of that section because up till 1999, the local governments used to collect their money directly from the Federation account under a process that I think was known as JAAC, Joint Accounts and allocation or something.”

“But in the advent of the democratic era, it was found out that there were so many of them, or not a few of them, who had defaulted in the very basic obligation of paying staff salaries, primary healthcare workers, primary school teachers, salaries and pensions, and there was a backlog of debt, and I met some of that debt when I became Governor and we were working there.”

“And I think that is partly the history behind the creation of the state joint local government account to ensure that there was some supervision. Whether the supervisors have now become as culpable as those they were supervising is another narrative entirely.”

On the recent Supreme Court ruling which granted financial autonomy to local governments and barred governors from dissolving democratically elected councils, Fashola noted the mixed legal opinions on its constitutionality.

“No patriot would say that all was well with the state of local governments in Nigeria,” he said.

Still, he acknowledged that conducting local government elections was a step in the right direction towards improving their independence.

“The conduct of council elections was a good step towards making local governments independent.”