COPDEM

WARRI: WE WALKED THROUGH THE FEAR Yesterday in Warri, Delta State, I witnessed something that I will not easily forget. I travelled to Warri to honour the invitation for the One Million-Man March for Obi-Kwankwaso, alongside other committed Obidient leaders and in the company of the NDC governorship candidate in Delta State, and many other Nigerians who came simply because they believe that a new Delta and a new Nigeria are possible. We set out peacefully. There were no guns in our hands. No knives. No stones. No weapons. We were walking. We were chanting. We were engaging people. We were exercising what should be one of the most basic rights in any democracy, the right of citizens to peacefully express their political choice. And then, suddenly, everything changed. I saw them myself, Men came out carrying sticks, stones and knives. I saw the aggression. I saw the attempt to intimidate us. And, most frighteningly, I personally witnessed firearms being pointed in our direction and shots being fired. This was not something I heard from somebody. I was there. I was standing there. I saw it happen. We captured it on videos including images of individuals carrying firearms. The attackers are APC political sponsored. But there is another moment from today that I will never forget. In the midst of the confusion, Dcn Chris, the NDC governorship candidate, stood beside me. He looked at me and, with the reality of the danger before us, said words to the effect of: “If we die today, we will die. But we are not retreating. We will march till the end.” Those words were not spoken from a comfortable office. They were spoken while danger was right in front of us. And we did exactly what we said we would do. We marched. We did not retreat. We did not abandon the people who came out with us. We did not allow fear to determine whether citizens would exercise their democratic rights. And something remarkable happened.nThe people stood together. Mama P, Amb. Young Peiro and others refused to give up. The Kwankwasiyya and Obidient family stood firm. The NDC family stood firm. People who came to march peacefully found courage in one another. And eventually, those who came to intimidate and disrupt the march were pushed back. That moment taught me something profound. The greatest weapon of tyranny is fear. And the moment ordinary people refuse to be ruled by fear, tyranny begins to lose its power. What happened in Warri is therefore not merely about a political rally. It is a reflection of the dangerous level to which our politics has descended when political disagreement can be met with sticks, knives and firearms. It is a reflection of a system in which some people appear to believe that the easiest way to defeat an idea is to attack the people carrying it. But they have misunderstood the people. You can frighten some people. You can scatter a crowd. You can threaten individuals. But you cannot permanently intimidate a people who have discovered that their collective voice is more powerful than the instruments of fear. Yesterday, I saw that power. I saw it in Warri. And I saw something else: the enormous strength that emerges when the opposition decides that it will not merely complain about the state of the country, but will stand together, organise and confront the forces trying to silence peaceful political participation. This is why the events of today must not be reduced to a fight between political groups. The bigger question is: What kind of Nigeria are we building? A Nigeria where citizens need protection from political thugs before they can march? A Nigeria where political competition becomes a contest of intimidation? Or a Nigeria where ideas confront ideas, candidates confront candidates, and ultimately the people decide through their votes? I choose the latter. And that is why we must not respond to violence by becoming violent ourselves.

Earlier today, while traveling from Anambra to Kogi State, we found ourselves approaching Unobe in Olamaboro Local Government Area, shortly after passing Otukpa Branch in Benue State. A long line of vehicles, stalled for nearly half a kilometre, immediately caught our attention. Upon inquiry, we learned that a policeman had shot at the tyre of a trailer, prompting the drivers at the scene to block the road in protest. True to the character, Mr. Peter Obi didn’t remain in the car. He walked straight to the heart of the protest, where tension was palpable, but as usual, it didn’t take long for the atmosphere to shift. I watched the chants of “Our President!” filled the air, with voices from Idomas, Igalas, Igbos, Yorubas, and Hausas all joining in. When Mr. Peter Obi reached the Hausa driver, who had been visibly upset about the damage to his trailer, something remarkable happened. Instead of continuing to lament, the driver took out his phone, and soon, the entire crowd was drawn into the moment—everyone eagerly capturing selfies with Mr. Peter Obi. Without any prompting from Mr. Peter Obi, the driver, speaking in Hausa (as translated by those nearby), exclaimed, “Who am I for Obi to beg me?” And with that, the road was cleared, much to everyone’s relief. What exactly was at play here? Was it Mr. Peter Obi’s unmistakable influence or something even deeper? Look out for the video -DrMo