The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has called for a comprehensive, independent and transparent investigation into the alleged attack on the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, in Calabar, Cross River State.

The coalition also expressed concern over the November 5, 2026, Federal High Court judgment which nullified the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken under it.

In a statement issued in Owerri, the CUPP spokesperson, Comrade Agu Diamond Bryan, condemned what the coalition described as recurring attacks, intimidation and obstruction directed at Obi.

The group called on the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to take urgent action to prevent the situation from degenerating into what it described as a national democratic crisis.

The latest incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at about 2:20 p.m. around the Watt Market Roundabout in Calabar.

According to CUPP, suspected hoodlums armed with machetes and sticks allegedly attacked vehicles in Obi’s convoy as it returned from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to the Metropolitan Hotel, venue of an NDC presidential town hall meeting.

The coalition said some vehicles in the convoy had their windscreens damaged.

“We acknowledged the subsequent police announcement of an arrest and demand that investigations be pursued to their logical conclusion,” Bryan said.

He added, “CUPP is particularly disturbed that this incident comes against the backdrop of other troubling experiences involving Mr Obi.”

The coalition recalled that Obi and other opposition leaders, including Chief John Oyegun, were reportedly attacked by armed men who fired gunshots shortly after an ADC gathering in Benin City, Edo State, on February 24, 2026.

It also referred to the alleged obstruction of Obi’s convoy by a mob along Gboko Road in Makurdi, Benue State, on September 8, 2026, during a visit intended to sympathise with victims of the Yelwata killings.

While noting that the Benue State Government had denied involvement, the group said the circumstances surrounding the incidents required impartial investigation and should not become a normal feature of Nigeria’s political environment.

CUPP noted that Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the NDC, respectively, for the 2027 general elections, adding that they have the constitutional right to participate freely in democratic competition.

On the Federal High Court judgment, the coalition said it respected judicial independence but stressed the need for impartiality, fairness and public confidence in the administration of justice.

The judgment, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, nullified the Senator David Mark-led ADC leadership and invalidated decisions taken under it, including the process that produced Atiku Abubakar as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

The coalition maintained that a strong and independent opposition was essential to multiparty democracy, accountability and good governance.

It urged the judiciary to uphold justice, fairness and constitutionalism, while ensuring that political disputes were resolved without undermining the democratic rights of opposition parties.

CUPP also called for the prosecution of all individuals found culpable in political violence, including sponsors and financiers, irrespective of their political affiliation or status.

The coalition further demanded adequate security for opposition candidates, their supporters and party officials throughout the campaign period.

It called for “An unequivocal guarantee of freedom of movement, association, expression, peaceful assembly and political campaigning for all Nigerians”.

As the ADC heads to the Court of Appeal, CUPP urged the justices to uphold the ethics of the legal profession and ensure that their judgment was based strictly on the merits of the evidence presented before them.

“Sections 39, 40 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), respectively guarantee freedom of expression, association and movement. Furthermore, Sections 95, 96 and 97 of the Electoral Act, 2026, provide for security at political rallies, prohibit the organisation of groups for political violence and criminalise threats or the use of force during political campaigns,” Bryan said.

The coalition condemned the alleged deployment of political thugs to intimidate opposition parties, describing political violence as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

“It is a dangerous substance capable of destroying the democratic gains Nigeria has struggled to preserve since the return to civil rule in 1999,” he said.

Bryan warned that the continued normalisation of political violence could provoke retaliatory attacks against members and supporters of the ruling party.

“No political party has a monopoly on violence, and no responsible government should allow political competition to become a contest of intimidation and physical confrontation. We must prevent this dangerous cycle rather than wait for it to consume the nation,” he said.

CUPP called on the Federal Government to demonstrate impartiality, protect all political actors and ensure that the 2027 elections were determined by the votes of Nigerians rather than the intimidation of political opponents.

“Nigeria belongs to all. Opposition is not a crime, and political disagreement must never become a death sentence,” the coalition said. (Nigerian Tribune)