The Peter Obi Media Office (POMR) has condemned the attack on the campaign convoy of the Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, by some youths in Calabar, Cross River State, describing the incident as an act of political violence capable of undermining democracy.
The media office called on security agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident, identify those responsible for the attack as well as their sponsors, and ensure that they are brought to justice.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its spokesperson, Idris Zekeri Jnr., POMR described the attack as barbaric and unacceptable, warning that political violence threatens peaceful political participation and the fundamental rights of Nigerians.
The office expressed concern over what it described as the calculated exploitation of Nigerian youths by desperate politicians, who allegedly take advantage of prevailing economic hardship to lure vulnerable young people with money and recruit them to disrupt democratic activities.
It regretted that while those who finance and organise political violence remain insulated from its consequences, the youths used to execute such acts risk losing their freedom, future and lives.
POMR urged Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used as instruments of destruction by politicians, stressing that their future should be built through education, productive engagement and responsible participation in leadership rather than violence and thuggery.
The statement reaffirmed Obi’s commitment to peaceful and issue-based political campaigns, while urging political stakeholders across party lines to embrace civility, tolerance and democratic principles.
It added that no political ambition was worth the loss of any Nigerian life, stressing that the country belonged to all citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations.
