By Abiola Olawale
Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has lashed Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, asking the latter to immediately retract what he called a threatening statement made against the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and issue a public apology.
The call follows Okpebholo’s remarks at a political rally in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area, where he warned Obi against visiting Edo State without prior notification or security clearance, stating that Obi’s safety could not be guaranteed if he visits without prior notice.
Okpebholo claimed that Obi’s recent visit to Edo on July 7, during which he donated ₦15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences, coincided with a resurgence of violence in the state, resulting in three deaths.
However, Falana, in a statement issued on Sunday, described the governor’s remarks as a direct violation of Obi’s fundamental rights under Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which guarantee the right to life.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which mandates that the security and welfare of citizens be the primary purpose of government, Falana urged Okpebholo to withdraw the threat and assure Obi’s safety in Edo State.
The statement reads in part: “Given Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which stipulates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, Governor Okpebholo should withdraw the threat, apologise publicly to Mr. Peter Obi, and assure him of the safety of his life in Edo State.
“However, if Governor Okpebholo does not withdraw the illegal threat because of sheer arrogance of raw power, Mr. Peter Obi should proceed to the Benin Judicial Division of the Federal High Court to secure the enforcement of his fundamental right to life.
“Mr. Obi should act with utmost urgency given the prevalence of mob justice and other forms of extrajudicial killings in the country.”
