Roy Ofori, Hamburg, Germany – 25 February 2026
Hon. (Dr.) Kenneth Gbandi has raised grave concerns over what he describes as a dangerous escalation of political intimidation and targeted violence against opposition figures in Nigeria as he arrives in Europe for his EU Erasmus engagement. Gbandi, a veteran Diaspora leader, former ADC Deputy National Chairman (Diaspora), 2023 Senate Candidate, and German trained security studies expert, issued this urgent call to the German Parliament and the European Union (EU) during an interactive engagement with Heritage Global Affairs Editor Roy Ofori and the German media team at the ADC-DN Global Campus Headquarters in Hamburg, Germany.
During the interaction, Gbandi disclosed that he will formally table the matter before the German Parliamentary Groups and representatives of the European Union. His mission, he said, is clear: to alert Europe that the lives of opposition leaders in Nigeria are increasingly unsafe and that silence at this stage could prove costly for democracy.
His reaction follows disturbing reports of an alleged assassination attempt in Benin City, Edo State, during the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This is coming just days after an opposition ADC member was killed during the FCT election of just few days ago. According to multiple media accounts, armed individuals reportedly trailed opposition leaders including Peter Obi from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of John Odigie-Oyegun. Gunshots were allegedly fired at the gate of the residence, and several vehicles were destroyed in what has been described as a brazen attempt to intimidate or possibly eliminate opposition figures.
Even more troubling, Gbandi recalled that the sitting governor had previously warned publicly that if Peter Obi entered the state without his permission, his security could not be guaranteed. “One can only ask,” Gbandi noted, “whether this latest incident represents the fulfillment of that threat.” Such rhetoric, he argued, undermines constitutional democracy and signals a dangerous normalization of political coercion.
For Gbandi and many members of Nigeria’s opposition, the issue transcends party lines; it strikes at the heart of democratic survival. Democracy cannot function where opposition voices are threatened, intimidated, or violently targeted. When political competition is met with armed aggression rather than debate, the very foundations of constitutional order begin to erode.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy, occupies a strategic position on the continent and remains a key partner of Europe in areas ranging from trade and migration to security cooperation. A destabilized Nigeria would have far-reaching consequences not only for West Africa, but also for European interests. Political breakdown, unchecked violence, and democratic backsliding could accelerate insecurity, economic decline, and humanitarian crises.
Gbandi insists that Germany and the European Union must not adopt a “wait-and-see” posture until the country descends into anarchy. Preventive diplomacy, he argues, is always more effective than crisis management. European democratic institutions, he maintains, have both the moral authority and the diplomatic leverage to act now through parliamentary inquiries, strengthened diplomatic engagement, reinforced election monitoring, and targeted accountability mechanisms where necessary.
As part of his ongoing pro–European Union engagements, Gbandi confirmed that he will be meeting with the leadership of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in his constituency, as well as with their representatives at the European Union level. His objective is to present documented concerns and advocate for coordinated European attention to Nigeria’s deteriorating political climate.
“The defense of democracy must be proactive,” Gbandi emphasized. “If the international community waits until institutions collapse, it will be too late. Nigeria’s opposition must not be left defenseless in the face of escalating threats.”
This call, he clarified, is not for interference but for principled partnership. Europe has consistently positioned itself as a defender of democratic values, the rule of law, and human rights. Nigeria’s current trajectory, if left unchecked, tests that commitment.
At stake is more than a single political incident. It is the preservation of democratic space in a nation whose stability significantly influences an entire region. The warning from Nigeria’s opposition voices is clear: the signs are visible, the risks are rising, and the time to act is now.
