Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has demanded the immediate release of his supporter, Rilwan Olawale, condemning what he described as the continued intimidation and harassment of his supporters across the country.
Obi, in a statement, described Olawale’s arrest as disturbing and unacceptable, calling for transparency over the circumstances surrounding his detention and respect for his fundamental rights.
The former Anambra State governor also accused President Bola Tinubu of benefiting from Nigeria’s democratic system while allegedly encouraging actions that threaten its survival.
“President Bola Tinubu has remained a huge beneficiary of our democracy and should not brazenly be destroying it by encouraging and facilitating violence,” Obi said.
He maintained that his political campaign remained peaceful and focused on offering Nigerians an alternative based on competence, accountability, justice and compassion.
According to him, his commitment to peaceful political engagement should not be mistaken for weakness or an inability to defend the democratic rights of his supporters.
“We have chosen the path of peace, not violence; persuasion, not intimidation. However, nobody should mistake our civility for weakness, our restraint for fear, or our commitment to peace for an absence of resolve,” he said.
Obi warned that he would not be intimidated into silence or abandon Nigerians who supported his vision of a new country, insisting that his campaign would remain peaceful but determined.
He called for an end to what he described as politically motivated harassment, stressing that Nigerians had the constitutional right to support candidates of their choice without fear of intimidation.
“No government or political party has the right to deny Nigerians the freedom to support a candidate of their choice,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate further pledged that he and his supporters would not resort to violence but would resist, through lawful means, any attempt to undermine their democratic rights.
“We will remain peaceful but resolute. We will not resort to violence, but we will stand firmly and lawfully against every attempt to undermine our democratic rights,” he added.
Obi concluded by reaffirming his belief in the possibility of building a new Nigeria, declaring that his political movement remained committed to that vision.
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