The Obidient Movement has fired back at Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, over a viral video in which he allegedly warned former presidential candidate Peter Obi never to enter Edo without his prior notice — a comment the movement described as both unconstitutional and dangerous.

In a fiery statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Nana Kazaure, the group called the governor’s comments “reckless, unlawful, and a threat to national cohesion,” warning that Nigeria’s unity cannot be held hostage by the ego of a few state actors.

“This is not a monarchy. Edo State is not a private estate,” the statement read.

“Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to move freely across Nigeria. No governor, no matter how power-drunk, can revoke that.”

The group stated that Obi’s visits — including one to Edo State — have consistently been humanitarian, aimed at uplifting impoverished communities abandoned by successive governments.

It also drew parallels with a similar threat issued by the Benue State Governor in 2023, describing the trend as a “coordinated campaign of intimidation.”

“If anything untoward happens to Mr. Peter Obi, Nigerians now know who to hold responsible. These threats are not mere words. They are incitements, and they carry real-world consequences,” Kazaure said.

The movement urged Nigerians to resist the normalisation of political intolerance and the creeping authoritarianism of elected officials.

“No politician is above the Constitution. Nigeria belongs to all of us — not just those who hold temporary power,” it added.