A legal practitioner, Pelumi Jegbensi, has criticised the targeting of private individuals and entrepreneurs for supporting political parties or candidates, describing such behaviour as akin to “witchcraft practice.”
Jegbensi made the remarks in a post shared on his official Facebook page on Sunday, warning against what he termed growing intolerance toward citizens’ political preferences.
According to him, criticising business owners or any individual, particularly those of Igbo origin, simply because they support a government or candidate of their choice does not amount to activism.
“Criticising private individuals and entrepreneurs or any person who is an Igboman simply because they choose to support a government or candidate of their choice is not activism; it is the beginning of witchcraft practice,” he wrote.
He stressed that in a true democracy, citizens must be free to back any candidate that aligns with their interests and convictions, adding that attempts to blackmail or coerce people into supporting a particular political figure are undemocratic and harmful to the growth of a free society.
Jegbensi further noted that many Nigerians across the country support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that political participation should remain a matter of personal choice in a free and fair electoral system.
Observations by KosofePost indicate that the recent alignment of some private business owners from Nigeria’s eastern region with the current federal administration has attracted negative reactions from critics, including individuals focused on regional politics, Biafra agitation, or opposition to the ruling party.