Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned in strong terms the attack on former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, at his country home in Rivers State.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Monday, Obi said Nigeria must not descend into a democracy of thuggery.
According to him, Nigeria is descending into a perilous era of political thuggery under the current administration, where violence and intimidation are increasingly weaponized to suppress democracy and stifle political participation.
He said that the recent attack on Amaechi, a prominent opposition figure, and the brutal assault on his supporters during a political event starkly illustrate the deteriorating state of our democracy.
The former Anambra state governor lamented that the attack on Amaechi’s convoy in Rivers State, the orchestrated burning of African Democratic Congress, ADC, offices and the rampant disruption of political meetings nationwide are alarming developments that cannot be ignored.
The politician added that the failure to arrest and prosecute those responsible for these heinous acts signals a grave danger—the steady erosion of the very foundation of democracy and the entrenchment of lawlessness by those entrusted to enforce the law.
“If we do not confront this troubling trend with unwavering resolve, citizens will feel compelled to take matters into their own hands simply to exercise their democratic rights.
“Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while political actors are endangered simply for expressing themselves, organizing, or attending meetings. A nation where thugs dictate who can gather, speak, or campaign is not practicing democracy; it is careening toward a brutal regime of political thuggery, aided and abetted by those in power.
“We must unequivocally reject this descent into a democracy of thuggery. Nigerians deserve a political environment organized through competency, capacity, compassion,and commitment to the good of society, not one controlled by incompetence and thuggery.
“Democracy must be defined by the rule of law, accountability, competence, and the unrestricted participation of citizens in shaping their nation’s future through political actions,” he wrote.
