It appears there may be a clash ahead of a planned protest in Anambra State over persistent poor electricity supply and alleged overestimation of billing, as the Police Command has urged organisers to engage peacefully with relevant authorities.
The protest, scheduled for the 14th of March, 2026, is tagged “Enough Is Enough” and is being organised by the Electricity Consumers’ Network, led by an activist, Comrade Osita Obi.
On Monday, the Anambra State Police Command said it had held a meeting with the organisers of the planned protest in Awka to discuss the issues surrounding the planned demonstration.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga on Monday, the Command said the meeting lasted for about an hour and focused on the concerns raised by electricity consumers in the state.
According to the statement, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Ibrahim Ezekiel, acknowledged the residents’ complaints of electricity failures and alleged overestimation of billing.
Ezekiel, however, advised the organisers to engage in constructive dialogue with the relevant authorities responsible for electricity regulation and distribution rather than resorting to protests that could disrupt public order.
“The Command emphasised the importance of peaceful and lawful channels in addressing grievances and encouraged stakeholders to pursue institutional means of resolving the issues affecting residents,” the statement said.
The police also reassured residents of the state of its commitment to maintaining law and order while promoting peaceful engagement between citizens and relevant authorities.
But, the key sponsor of the planned rally against First Power in Anambra State, Comrade Osita Obi, has told the state police command that the only way to stop the planned rally scheduled for Saturday is to arrest him.
Comrade Obi, in a letter to the Governor of Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, obtained by The News Chronicle on Tuesday, assured him that the rally would be peaceful and orderly.
In the letter, Obi urged the authorities to hold him personally responsible in the event of any violent activity during the rally.
According to the organisers, the protest is aimed at compelling First Power to improve electricity supply, stop estimated billing, provide prepaid meters for consumers, and address other related demands.
Obi insisted that he had organised several rallies and protests in the state in the past and none had turned violent.
He questioned why the planned rally was being treated differently.
According to him, the police should hold him responsible for any outbreak of violence, stressing that Ndi Anambra are suffering under the operations of First Power, which he accused of “killing residents with excessive and arbitrary billing.”
