By Theo James
Following the attack on the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate in Benue State on Tuesday, human rights lawyer, Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor (Dunu-Ezeugosinachi) has warned against political intolerance ahead the 2027 general elections.
Barr Ejiofor who said he is not accustomed to dabbling in partisan political activities pointed out that when a dangerous aberration is allowed to persist unchecked, it risks becoming a convention.
"When a convention is repeatedly tolerated, it may ultimately acquire the unfortunate character of a political culture. My intervention, therefore, is not partisan, but firmly anchored on public interest and the imperative of preserving democracy.
"It is no longer news that campaign activities for the 2027 general elections have formally commenced following the lifting of the statutory restriction by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Ritual Endorsement of a Symbolic Peace Accord by Presidential Aspirants.
"The implication is straightforward: presidential candidates and other political contestants are entitled, within the confines of the law, to traverse the length and breadth of the country, present their manifestos, articulate their programmes and policies, and persuade Nigerians to entrust them with their mandate.
"It is, therefore, deeply disturbing that what Nigerians are witnessing at the very threshold of the 2027 electioneering season is not the robust contest of ideas expected in a democracy, but the frightening emergence of political intolerance, intimidation and organised thuggery.
"The blockage of Peter Obi and members of his entourage while on a private engagement in Benue State is profoundly disturbing. More alarming is the unrestrained activities of heavily armed political thugs who, in broad daylight and apparently within the vicinity of security personnel, obstructed access and created an atmosphere of intimidation.
"That Peter Obi eventually left the scene unharmed should not diminish the gravity of what occurred. The issue is not merely whether a particular politician was physically attacked. The larger and far more dangerous question is: what message does such an incident send to other political actors, and ultimately to the Nigerian electorate?
"The message is chilling: that certain political actors may have come to believe that the legitimate exercise of political rights can be restricted by the force of hired mobs. That is an invitation to political anarchy." Barr Ejiofor asserted.
Barr Ejiofor, a commentator on National issues urged Gov. Hyacinth Alia and every other political office holder to understand that occupying a public office is not a licence to convert the State into a political fiefdom.
The human rights lawyer said as a matter of fact that what occurred in Benue State is totally condemnable and must not be rationalised, trivialised or repeated.
He expressed concerned that if what happened in Benue State on Tuesday is allowed to continue, it could dangerously inflame an already fragile political atmosphere ahead of the full escalation of the 2027 electioneering campaign.
Barr Ejiofor urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call such overzealous political actors, particularly those in positions of constitutional authority, to order noting that appropriate battlefield for political contests is the marketplace of ideas, not the streets; the manifesto, not the machete; the ballot box, not the political thug.
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