There was tension in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command reportedly arrested the state coordinator of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, Mr. Elijah Noah, and dispersed supporters who had gathered for an Independence Day march with tear gas.
The incident, which occurred around the early hours of the day, has generated mixed reactions across the state and on social media, with many questioning the rationale behind the police action against a group of citizens who were carrying out what they described as a peaceful political gathering to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
According to reports, Elijah Noah, who is popular on social media with the handle @elijahnoah8, was apprehended by heavily armed police officers while he and other members of the movement were making preparations for the march. Eyewitnesses said the officers swooped on him without prior warning and dragged him into a waiting police van.
A video obtained on the internet showed the moment several armed policemen surrounded Noah, manhandled him and forcefully pushed him into a police vehicle parked nearby. The footage, which has since gone viral, showed supporters shouting and protesting the arrest, but the officers paid little attention to their pleas and drove off with the coordinator.
The circumstances that led to his arrest were not immediately made clear by the police authorities, as the State Police Command was yet to issue an official statement explaining the reasons for the action. However, sources within the movement claimed that Noah had committed no offence other than going to inspect the proposed take-off point for the rally.
An X user, Esther Umoh, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said Noah’s only crime was that he came to check the starting point for the march, adding that the Akwa Ibom State Government was gradually sliding into undemocratic practices by stifling opposition voices and peaceful assembly. Her post has attracted hundreds of comments and reposts, with many calling for the immediate release of the coordinator.
Meanwhile, videos and first-hand accounts circulating from different parts of Uyo indicated that tear gas canisters were fired at supporters of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement who had converged in small groups to begin the march. The use of tear gas reportedly caused panic, with some supporters, including women, scampering for safety to avoid suffocation and injuries.
The march was said to have been organised by the Obi-Kwankwaso, OK, Movement, a political support group mobilising for the presidential ambition of Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, ahead of the 2027 general elections. The group had announced plans to hold peaceful marches across several states to mark Independence Day and to sensitise Nigerians on its political project.
The OK Movement, which has been gaining traction in recent weeks, describes itself as a grassroots platform that brings together supporters of Peter Obi, popularly known as Obidients, and supporters of Rabiu Kwankwaso, known as Kwankwasiyya, with the aim of building a formidable political alliance capable of challenging the ruling party in the next general elections.
Elijah Noah was listed as the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the movement in a campaign structure that was announced by the national leadership of the group in September 2026. His appointment was seen as part of efforts to strengthen the movement’s presence in the South-South region, which is considered a key battleground in the forthcoming elections.
In September, the movement announced a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to drive its activities nationwide, with John Ughulu named as Director-General and Saadatu Sani as National Secretary. Under the council, coordinators were appointed for each state, with Noah heading the Akwa Ibom chapter under the South-South structure.
However, the development is coming against the backdrop of an internal wrangling between the OK Movement and the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The NDC, in a statement issued on September 19, 2026, had disowned the campaign council announced by the movement, saying it did not authorise the group to constitute or announce a presidential campaign council on its behalf.
The party maintained that its official structures remain the only authoritative organ responsible for campaign activities and that the Obidient and Kwankwasiyyah movements are merely support groups operating within the broader political framework of the party, and not parallel structures that can take independent decisions on behalf of the party.
Political observers in Akwa Ibom have described the police action in Uyo as an indication of the growing tension and political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that similar incidents have been reported in other states where opposition support groups have attempted to hold rallies or marches.
Some civil society organisations in the state have condemned the arrest and the use of tear gas on peaceful supporters, describing it as a violation of the constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and expression. They called on the Akwa Ibom State Police Command to respect democratic principles and to avoid being used as a tool to suppress opposition voices.
They also urged the state government to ensure that all political groups, regardless of their affiliation, are given equal opportunity to operate within the ambits of the law, stressing that democracy thrives when there is tolerance, inclusivity and respect for divergent views.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for comments on the incident were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to his phone were not responded to. The whereabouts of Elijah Noah and whether he has been released or charged to court also remained unclear.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement have vowed to continue their mobilisation efforts despite the setback in Uyo, insisting that no amount of intimidation will deter them from pursuing their political aspirations and working towards what they described as a new Nigeria under the leadership of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in 2027.
