Imagine setting out to talk to voters, only to have machete-wielding thugs smash your campaign buses. That’s exactly what happened to Peter Obi in Calabar on Wednesday — and his response was pure Obi.

It was meant to be another day on the campaign trail, but things turned ugly pretty quickly in Calabar.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned a shocking attack on his convoy in Cross River State, insisting that political violence will not be allowed to hijack the 2027 general election.

Obi was speaking at a town hall meeting in Calabar on Wednesday, just hours after his convoy came under attack from suspected political thugs.

What really happened?

Eyewitnesses say the drama unfolded when Obi’s convoy was moving through Calabar. A group of young men, mostly dressed in black shirts, fez caps and face masks, reportedly blocked the road and started smashing windscreens and side mirrors of some of the campaign buses with stones and machetes.

A 30-second clip of the incident, now viral on X, shows the attackers hacking at vehicles while passersby and roadside traders scamper for safety. Pure panic.

One of Obi’s media aides, Esther Umoh, was the first to raise the alarm on her official X handle: “Thugs are trying to attack our convoy,” she posted.

Minutes later, she shared a five-second video of a victim with what she described as a gunshot wound to the leg from a stray bullet, being hurried away from the scene.

At the town hall, Obi himself recounted the moment in his usual calm-but-firm style.

“They were throwing stones, and I saw people running back. And my security people said we should find another way because they have machetes and other things,” he told supporters.

“I asked, ‘In Nigeria? I am coming down to go and meet them.’ By the time they saw what was happening, they left. All these things happened because Nigerians allow it. We are not going to allow it in 2027.”

He arrived in Calabar with his wife, Margaret Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for the engagement. Efforts by cbinewstv.com to get further comment from NDC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Constance Ikokwu, and Obi’s spokesman, Idris Zekeri, were unsuccessful as of press time.

Beyond the smashed windscreens, it’s the ordinary people who felt it. Think of that roadside trader in Calabar who had to abandon her wares and run. Or the young supporter who came out to catch a glimpse of Obi and ended up nursing a bullet wound. That is the real cost of this “do-or-die” politics we keep condemning.

If this feels like déjà vu, that’s because it is.

This is the second major security scare for Obi’s camp in just two months. Back in Benue State, his convoy was blocked by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko Federal Highway while he was on his way to commiserate with victims of the June 2025 Yelewata attacks. That blockade caused massive gridlock, with police coming under fire for not acting fast enough. The Benue Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, later confirmed 46 suspects were arrested.

Historically, Nigerian campaigns have always had a violent underbelly. From the infamous “Operation Wetie” of the First Republic to the thuggery that marred the 2003 and 2007 polls, and the 2019 election, where SBM Intelligence recorded at least 626 deaths linked to election violence, intimidation has been a tool. Data from the National Human Rights Commission and INEC show that over 50 incidents of campaign violence were documented in the run-up to the 2023 general election alone. Calabar, once considered one of the more peaceful campaign stops, is now joining that worrying list.

Why It Matters:

Here’s why you should care, even if you don’t support Peter Obi or the NDC.

First, 2027 is already looking tense. INEC has yet to release its final timetable, but pre-campaign activities have kicked off 18 months early. If candidates can’t move freely in November 2026, what happens in January 2027?

Second, it tests our security agencies. The Police have promised that political intolerance won’t be tolerated as we approach 2027. But promises don’t stop machetes — prosecutions do.

Third, it affects voter turnout. When people see violence on TV, especially in places like Cross River,r which has over 1.9 million registered voters, they stay home. And when people stay home, democracy suffers.

So, what’s next legally and politically?

1. Who investigates? The Cross River State Police Command is expected to take over. Similar to the Benue incident, they will likely make arrests and then transfer key suspects for further investigation.

2. What does the Electoral Act say? Under Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2022, violent conduct at political gatherings attracts a fine of N500,000 or 1 month's imprisonment. Using thugs to disrupt campaigns is an electoral offence.

3. Why the NDC? Obi, former Anambra governor and Labour Party’s flagbearer in 2023, where he polled over 6.1 million votes to come third, is now flying the flag of the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) with Kwankwaso as his running mate — a formidable North-South alliance that has clearly rattled some quarters.

What to watch out for in the coming days:

* Will the Cross River Police Commissioner issue a statement and announce arrests, as was done in Benue?

* Will the NDC Campaign Council file a formal petition to INEC and the Inspector-General of Police?

* Will Obi adjust his campaign security protocol ahead of his next stops in the South-South?

* Most importantly, will INEC and the National Peace Committee convene political parties early to sign a fresh peace accord before things spiral?

Obi has made his stance clear: “We are not going to allow it in 2027.” Whether the system will back that resolve with action is what Nigerians will be watching.

What do you think — is this isolated thuggery or a sign of what 2027 will look like? Let us know in the comments.

Source: cbinewstv.com

#PeterObi #2027Elections #CalabarAttack #CrossRiver #NigeriaDecides2027 #NDC #PoliticalViolence #INEC #CalabarNews #CbinewsTV