Peter Obi's Calabar Convoy Targeted in Political Violence Incident
NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi's convoy was attacked by suspected political thugs in Calabar, Cross River State, during a town hall meeting visit on Wednesday.
Peter Obi's campaign convoy came under attack in Calabar on Wednesday as the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate visited the Cross River State capital for a town hall meeting. Assailants hurled stones, bottles and other objects at vehicles in the convoy after it was spotted moving through the city.
Obi's media aide, Ester Umoh, first reported the incident on social media, alerting followers that thugs were attempting to target the group. Obi himself confirmed the attack during remarks at the town hall meeting, stating that his security detail informed him the attackers were armed with machetes and suggested he take an alternate route.
The candidate said he declined the suggestion and instead chose to address the situation directly by exiting his vehicle to meet the assailants, after which they dispersed. Obi attributed the incident to what he described as a broader culture of political violence that Nigerians permit to occur.
Sources differ on the precise identity of the attackers. Some reports attribute the assault to supporters of the All Progressives Congress who were opposed to the NDC's presence in the area, while other accounts describe them simply as suspected political thugs.
Police intervened to separate the rival groups and restore order along the Murtala Mohammed Highway and around the Metropolitan Hotel where the town hall was being held. One suspect, identified as Victor Edet Yellow-Duke, was arrested in connection with the incident.
The confrontation resulted in injuries to some NDC supporters and damage to vehicles within the convoy. Police authorities stated they had increased security presence in the affected areas following the incident.
The clash occurred as both the APC and NDC held separate political activities in Calabar ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the two groups encountering each other at multiple locations throughout the city.
