Security has been stepped up in Akwa Ibom State ahead of a solidarity rally organised by supporters of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Uyo on Saturday.
The rally, tagged a two-million-man march by its organisers, is expected to draw members of the NDC, Obidient Movement, OK Movement, Kwankwasiyya Movement and other support groups.
The gathering is also expected to express support for the party’s Akwa Ibom governorship candidate, Hon. Michael Enyong, popularly known as Babantan, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference, Akwa Ibom Coordinator of the OK Movement and chairman of the rally’s media committee, Engr. Elijah Noah, said the march was intended to promote credible elections and peaceful political participation.
“We are marching in solidarity for a new Nigeria, for free and fair elections, to put an end to ballot snatching and election theft, and to bring about due process in our country,” Noah said.
He urged residents and supporters from other parts of the country to participate in the event, while calling on Nigerians not to remain indifferent to the country’s challenges.
The rally was initially scheduled for October 1 but was postponed following security concerns raised by the state Commissioner of Police, according to the organisers.
The rescheduled march is expected to begin at the Water Fountain along Nwaniba Road in Uyo before proceeding through designated streets in the state capital.
Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Dr Ben Smith, described the event as a solidarity march rather than a protest.
Smith, who is also the NDC’s South-South Zonal Financial Secretary and State Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said arrangements had been made for transportation, refreshments, medical assistance and internal security.
He added that the organisers expected participation both on the streets and through online engagement, with music and other activities planned for the gathering.
NDC state publicity secretary for new media and Director of Media for the Obidient Movement, Hon. Kingsley Okposin, urged young people to attend, saying the rally would highlight concerns about healthcare, education, roads, housing and living conditions.
Other speakers, including NDC state leader Chief Sunny Ibanga and Kwankwasiyya Movement State Coordinator Comrade Ubong Kingsley Young, appealed to residents, non-indigenes and people from different ethnic backgrounds to participate peacefully.
The organisers said the event would also provide an opportunity to advocate electoral credibility, accountable governance and greater citizen participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.