The Akwa Ibom chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has criticised state police for cancelling a planned two-million-man march in support of presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso, accusing the force of violating constitutional rights to assembly.
Commissioner of Police Baba Azare on Wednesday directed political groups to reschedule all rallies, meetings and processions set for October 1, citing intelligence that some individuals planned to disrupt public peace.
“All approvals earlier granted for political rallies, meetings, processions and other related public political activities scheduled to hold on Thursday, 1st October 2026, anywhere within Akwa Ibom State are hereby directed to be rescheduled,” Azare said in a statement.
Benjamin Smith, state director of the Obidient Movement, told a press conference on Thursday that the police had previously approved the event but later withdrew support. He said organisers had spent more than 20 million naira mobilising supporters across the state’s 31 local government areas and that planning committee members had met police on September 29 despite the costs involved.
Smith said Azare told organisers the command lacked enough personnel to secure two million marchers in Uyo and feared clashes because the Peoples Democratic Party was also scheduled to hold a rally from October 1 to 3.
“The Commissioner, CP Azare, informed the Party and the support groups planning the event that he and his men of the Nigeria Police Force would not have enough personnel to provide security for two million people marching on the streets of Uyo on 1st October, as the said date has already been approved for the PDP to hold its own rally, scheduled to take place from 1st to 3rd October,” Smith said.
“We want Nigerians to know that the police have violated the Police Act. It is a violation of the Nigerian Constitution that gives the people the right of freedom of assembly. We want everybody to know this, and we would resist it next time the rally would be scheduled. We also want everybody to know that without the Constitution of Nigeria and laws, we are just a banana republic,” he added.
Smith urged supporters to remain law-abiding and said a new date for the march would be announced later.
