Tension erupted in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Saturday as protesters booed former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, for hosting former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, during the Odenigbo Lecture Series organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri.
El-Rufai, who arrived in Imo on Friday, was first received by the traditional ruler of Nekede Ancient Kingdom, Eze Agumanu, without incident. However, his appearance at the Catholic event in the company of Peter Obi sparked outrage among sections of the crowd. Protesters, including men, women, and youths, accused Obi of introducing “an enemy of Ndigbo” into the state, chanting war songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Stop deceiving us, Peter Obi,” “El-Rufai is an enemy,” and “We don’t want you in Imo State.”
Security operatives were forced to intervene as some protesters attempted to block Obi and El-Rufai from gaining entry into the Assumpta Cathedral, venue of the lecture series. The demonstrators alleged that El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was marked by violent crises that claimed the lives of innocent Christians, describing him as an “unrepentant hater of Ndigbo and Christians.”
Speaking to journalists, some protesters expressed disappointment in Peter Obi for associating with El-Rufai, saying the former Anambra governor had compromised his standing among Ndigbo. “Our respect for Obi has evaporated today. By identifying with an enemy of Ndigbo, he has also made himself an enemy,” they declared. Meanwhile, leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had earlier staged a separate protest over a planned rally by El-Rufai in the state.