Lawyers operating under the aegis of the Obidient Lawyers Forum have demanded that the Federal High Court in Abuja should order President Bola Tinubu to compel the Police, Department of State Services, DSS, and others to provide special protection to the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr. Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 election.

The legal practitioners informed the court that their appeal has become imperative so as not to make Peter Obi a victim of political assassination before and during the 2027 general electioneering process.

The request was contained in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1648/2026, instituted against Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General (IG) of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, and the Governor of Edo State.

The plaintiffs in the suit, filed on Monday, July 27, predicated their request on a statement credited to Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to the effect that Obi’s life and security would not be guaranteed in Edo State if he entered the state without getting approval from the governor.

The Obidient lawyers, represented by Barristers Okere Kingdom Nnamdi and Joseph Enemona Ameh, instituted the fundamental rights suit on behalf of Peter Obi, in which they prayed the court to issue an order declaring that Peter Obi has the fundamental right to freedom of movement without any hindrance.

Among other reliefs, they asked the court to declare that Peter Gregory Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), has the fundamental right to life and the right to live without any fear, discrimination, threat of assassination, intimidation or any form of harassment whatsoever, as guaranteed under Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In addition, they urged the court to declare that Peter Obi must not be subjected to politically motivated coercion, threats to life, bullying, harassment, assault, intimidation or victimisation whatsoever by any arm of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or any authority, person, individual or group, agents/agencies of the Federal Government or the government of any sub-national state, on the grounds of his political ideology, ethnicity or religion, or for any reason whatsoever.

Others are: “A declaration that Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), has the fundamental right of free ingress and egress into any of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the FCT, and can freely move around, enter, visit, stay, reside, inhabit and organise, attend and host his political campaign rallies, consultations, seminars, group meetings and carry out his lawful activities in any part of Nigeria without fear of assassination, threats to his life, bullying, harassment, assault, intimidation or victimisation whatsoever by any arm of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or any authority, person, individual or group, agents/agencies of the Federal Government or government of any sub-national state, as guaranteed under Sections 39, 40, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“A declaration that the threats by the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, that Mr. Peter Obi’s life and security are not guaranteed in Edo State, and that Mr. Peter Obi should not step into Edo State without obtaining clearance from him, are empty, not backed by law, anti-democratic, illegal, unlawful and tantamount to executive rascality, infantile politicking and power drunkenness.

“A declaration that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has the constitutional mandate and responsibility to provide adequate security for the lives and property of citizens, which is the fundamental purpose of every government; and that the President has the constitutional responsibility as Commander-in-Chief to direct the 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents and heads of all security agencies in Nigeria to provide maximum security protection and intelligence for Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and all other presidential candidates.”

The plaintiffs further urged a declaration that the laws establishing the security agencies mandate and empower the 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents to provide adequate security for citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against all criminal activities aimed at depriving them of their property or lives.

Meanwhile, they asked the court to make an order:

“Compelling, directing and mandating the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to direct the 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents and heads of all other security agencies in Nigeria to provide maximum security protection and intelligence for Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), and all other 2027 presidential candidates.

“An order compelling, directing and mandating the 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents to immediately provide maximum security personnel to physically protect and provide security intelligence for Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the NDC’s 2027 presidential candidate.”

In an affidavit deposed to in support of the suit, the plaintiffs stated that the application was brought on behalf of Mr. Peter Gregory Obi pursuant to Paragraph 3(e) of the Preamble to the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009.

“That the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, said in a recent live podcast that ‘he may not be alive to contest next year’s presidential election.’

While claiming that Mr. Peter Gregory Obi has been subjected to serious psychological torture and trauma by the numerous threats to his life, and that this is detrimental to his constitutional rights, the deponent argued that no person, authority or arm of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or any authority, person, individual or group, agents/agencies of the Federal Government or government of any sub-national state, has the power to restrict or prevent any citizen from entering or leaving any part of Nigeria to carry out lawful activities as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“That the 6th Respondent, the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, threatened Mr. Peter Gregory Obi not to enter Edo State without his permission and stated that Mr. Peter Gregory Obi’s life and security were not guaranteed in Edo State. A computer-generated printout of the news report is hereby pleaded and exhibited as Exhibit 3.

“That the threats by the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, that Mr. Peter Obi’s life and security are not guaranteed in Edo State, and that Mr. Peter Obi should not step into Edo State without obtaining clearance from him are empty, not backed by law, anti-democratic, illegal, unlawful and tantamount to executive rascality, infantile politicking and power drunkenness.

“That the security agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria, sued as the 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents, have constitutional and statutory responsibilities to provide adequate security for the lives and property of citizens.

“That the constitutional rights guaranteed in Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution are inalienable and cannot be taken away under any guise.”

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.