NDC Demands Independent Probe Over Deadly Asaba Rally, Accuses Authorities of Selective Policing

In an open response dated November 8, 2026, and issued through its Volunteer Media, the party condemned the killing of one person and the injury of five others along Nnebisi Road on Saturday, November 7, during a procession organised in support of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The NDC rejected the police and government accounts suggesting that the incident could have been avoided had the organisers complied with advice against holding a street procession. It described the explanation as an attempt to blame the victims rather than establish who initiated the violence and who was responsible for the death and injuries.

The party alleged that opposition groups were being deliberately exposed to attacks and subsequently blamed for disregarding security advice, with the incidents then used to justify restrictions on their political activities. It claimed the pattern could be part of an effort to frustrate opposition campaigns in Delta State while allowing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to organise rallies and processions without similar restrictions.

The NDC also questioned the police response to intelligence reportedly received before the procession. While acknowledging the Command's statement that organisers were invited to a security meeting and advised against a road march, the party argued that the police should have identified and apprehended those suspected of planning violence, secured the procession route and deployed officers to prevent an attack.

It demanded to know why no suspects were arrested before the incident, despite the reported intelligence, and why the intervention came only after a person had been killed and others injured.

The party further challenged the authorities to explain which designated venue was available to the organisers, alleging that opposition parties had been denied access to public facilities, including stadiums, fields, government halls and town halls, while the APC had continued to use such spaces.

Citing Sections 39, 40 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the NDC maintained that freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and movement must be respected. It argued that police security advice should not be used to undermine constitutionally protected political activities.

The party also questioned the police statement that the identities of the deceased and injured persons were yet to be established. It demanded the disclosure of the victim's name and details, as well as clarification of whether the deceased was a participant in the procession, an alleged attacker or a passerby caught in the violence.

It called for a detailed account of the incident, including the exact location and circumstances of the death, the nature of the injuries, the weapons allegedly used and the sequence of events before police operatives arrived.

A major part of the party's complaint centred on video clips circulating online, which it said captured the beginning of the violence. According to the NDC, the footage showed individuals attacking parked and moving vehicles belonging to the party, smashing windscreens and side mirrors, destroying banners and posters, and chasing supporters.

It asked the police to review the recordings, identify those seen damaging the vehicles and make arrests where evidence establishes criminal responsibility. The party also demanded that investigators determine whether there was any provocation, altercation or unlawful conduct by members of the procession before the attack.

Among its demands are the public disclosure of the identities of the deceased and injured persons, a comprehensive account of what happened, the retrieval and examination of available video evidence, and the immediate arrest and prosecution of anyone found to have planned or carried out the violence.

The NDC also called for an independent investigation, with the findings made public, an end to what it described as discriminatory denial of public facilities to opposition parties, and an end to the alleged use of security warnings to restrict opposition rallies while APC activities proceed.

The party insisted that Delta State belongs to supporters of all political parties and non-partisan residents, warning against the politicisation of security institutions.

It said it would continue to exercise its right to peaceful and lawful political assembly, while demanding justice for the deceased and accountability for those responsible.