After organisers were tear-gassed during their first attempt to march down the street in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State in South-East Nigeria, a solidarity rally in support of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, went ahead.
Obi-dients had gathered for a solidarity march at Abakaliki’s Pastoral Centre, Mile 50, before security operatives in Hilux vans stormed the scene and dispersed them with teargas.
Despite being violently dispersed, Obi supporters regrouped and resumed the solidarity march from Mile 50 to the G-hostel area of the state capital.
Meanwhile, Governor Dave Umahi has denied giving consent for the disruption of the solidarity rally by Obi’s supporters.
“If it is true that the police dispersed people, the answer will surely rest with the police,” said a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Chooks Oko.
In other news, supporters of Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, held a solidarity rally in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, on Saturday.
