Peter Obi: US Embassy petitioned to impose visa ban on Okpebholo, family members

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A civil society group, the Leadership and Accountability Initiative, has formally petitioned the United States Embassy in Abuja, requesting a visa restriction be placed on Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, along with his immediate family. The organization accused the governor of issuing what it termed “state-sanctioned threats” against Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate.

The petition, submitted on Monday, claimed that Governor Okpebholo made remarks on Friday, July 18, 2025, warning Obi against visiting Edo State. According to the group, the governor allegedly said Obi should not enter the state “for any reason,” and further stated that “whatever he sees, he should take.”

The organisation interpreted these comments as a threat to Obi’s personal safety and right to free movement, characterizing them as a serious abuse of power.

They argued that such statements reflect a broader assault on democratic values and human rights, warning that these types of threats put Nigeria’s political pluralism at risk.

In the petition, the group urged the U.S. to respond by enacting travel bans and other diplomatic consequences against Okpebholo and his family, viewing such action as necessary to discourage the suppression of political opponents.

The group also referenced a similar situation in a nearby state, where a different governor allegedly restricted Obi’s access for political reasons, warning that these developments collectively signal an erosion of constitutional freedoms.

In a separate but related development, Festus Ogun Legal (FOLEGAL), a law firm, issued a formal notice to Governor Okpebholo, giving him seven days to retract his alleged statements and offer a public apology to Obi and the Nigerian people.

In a letter dated July 21 and signed by its Managing Partner, Festus Ogun, the firm criticized the governor’s warning that Obi “must not come to Edo without security clearance,” labeling it a breach of Nigeria’s constitutional principles.

The letter cited Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, which ensures citizens’ right to move freely within the country, and referenced a Court of Appeal decision affirming that no state governor has legal authority to curtail a citizen’s movement arbitrarily.

The firm maintained that requiring Obi to obtain any form of “security clearance” before entering Edo amounts to a constitutional violation and warned that if their demands are not met within the stipulated period, they will pursue legal action to protect Obi’s rights.

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