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The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Obidient Movement says it lost about ₦20 million following a police directive rescheduling its planned two-million-man solidarity march for the Peter Obi–Rabiu Kwankwaso 2027 presidential ticket in Uyo.
The march had been scheduled for October 1, 2026, to coincide with Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, but the Akwa Ibom State Police Command directed political parties and groups to reschedule political rallies, meetings and processions planned for the day.
Police said the decision followed security intelligence suggesting that some individuals could exploit political activities to cause disturbances and threaten public peace.
The command also cited concerns over available personnel and the possibility of clashes between rival political groups holding activities around the same period. According to reports, the Peoples Democratic Party had previously notified police of activities scheduled from October 1 to 3.
Reacting to the directive, Akwa Ibom Obidient Movement Director Dr Benjamin Smith said organisers had already spent more than ₦20 million mobilising supporters across the state’s 31 local government areas.
Smith argued that the late rescheduling imposed significant financial losses on the organisers and questioned why the decision came after preparations had reached an advanced stage. He also alleged that preventing the march infringed on supporters’ freedom of assembly.
The police, however, maintained that the decision was based on security considerations rather than an attempt to prevent the group from holding political activities.
Commissioner of Police Baba Mohammed Azare reportedly told organisers that their notification came only three days before the proposed march and that he could not permit competing political activities that could potentially result in a security breach.
Rather than imposing a permanent prohibition, the police asked organisers to select another date and communicate it early enough for security arrangements and approval to be considered.
The Obidient Movement has asked its supporters to remain law-abiding and said a new date for the Obi-Kwankwaso solidarity march would be announced.
The dispute raises a broader issue around the management of political gatherings ahead of the 2027 general elections: how authorities balance citizens’ rights to peaceful political assembly with their responsibility to address credible security risks.
For now, the organisers’ reported ₦20 million loss is their own estimate, while the police maintain that the rescheduling was necessary on public-safety grounds.
