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Former presidential candidate Peter Obi, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were reportedly attacked by suspected thugs during political activities in Edo State on Tuesday.
The incident was disclosed by Obi’s former campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, in a statement issued in Abuja.
According to the statement, “Peter Obi and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State. At the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, armed individuals followed us from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
“They shot at the gate and destroyed several vehicles in what appears to be a survived assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger.”
Photographs and video clips accompanying the statement showed multiple sport utility vehicles with shattered windscreens, while the gate to Odigie-Oyegun’s residence bore visible bullet marks.
The alleged attack occurred amid political engagements surrounding the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the ADC in Benin City, further heightening concerns over rising political tension in Edo State.
Tuesday’s development has added to anxieties about the safety of opposition figures and the broader state of Nigeria’s democracy, coming against the backdrop of disputes over recent electoral outcomes.
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The incident also followed, by less than 24 hours, the rejection of the February 21 Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship election by the ADC candidate, Dr Moses Paul, alongside the Obidient Movement. They alleged widespread irregularities and insisted that the declared outcome did not reflect the will of voters.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had announced Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress as winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council election with 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid ballots cast.
Paul placed second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party candidate secured 3,398 votes.
In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, Paul accused INEC of mishandling the poll, alleging voter suppression, manipulation of results, intimidation of supporters, and vote buying across several wards.
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