Attack on Rotimi Amaechi: Obi Condemns Rising Political Thuggery, Blames APC

Africa, Politics

Abuja, Nigeria (NPA) — March 9, 2026 — Presidential hopeful and leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, has condemned what he described as Nigeria’s descent into a dangerous era of political thuggery aimed at suppressing democracy and stifling political participation.

Obi’s remarks followed reports of an attack on fellow presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi on Friday, March 6, 2026. Gunmen ambushed his convoy along the Omuanwa–Ubima road in Ikwerre Local Government Area during a political engagement in Rivers State.

Amaechi’s convoy was allegedly assaulted by politically sponsored thugs, while offices of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the area were set ablaze, sparking widespread condemnation and raising concerns about escalating political violence.

In a statement on Monday, Obi warned: “The failure to arrest and prosecute those responsible for these heinous acts signals a grave danger—the steady erosion of the very foundation of democracy and the entrenchment of lawlessness by those entrusted to enforce the law.”

He cautioned that unchecked violence could push citizens to take matters into their own hands: “If we do not confront this troubling trend with unwavering resolve, citizens will feel compelled to take matters into their own hands simply to exercise their democratic rights.”

Obi further stressed that Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while political actors are endangered for expressing themselves. “A nation where thugs dictate who can gather, speak, or campaign is not practising democracy; it is careening toward a brutal regime of political thuggery, aided and abetted by those in power.”

He concluded: “We must unequivocally reject this descent into a democracy of thuggery. Nigerians deserve a political environment organised through competency, capacity, compassion, and commitment to the good of society, not one controlled by incompetence and thuggery. Democracy must be defined by the rule of law, accountability, competence, and the unrestricted participation of citizens in shaping their nation’s future through political actions.”