Former presidential candidate Peter Obi, former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, and some leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were reportedly attacked by suspected thugs on Tuesday in Edo State.
The development was disclosed by Obi’s former campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, in a statement issued in Abuja.
“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,” the statement read.
Photos and videos shared by Tanko showed several SUV windscreens smashed, while the gate leading to Odigie-Oyegun’s residence was riddled with bullet holes.
The alleged attack coincided with political activities marking the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata as an ADC member, intensifying concerns about political violence and rising tensions in the state.
This incident comes a day after the ADC candidate in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election, Dr Moses Paul, alongside the Obidient Movement, rejected the February 21 election results, citing irregularities.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Christopher Maikalangu of the APC the winner, with 40,295 votes out of 62,861 valid votes cast. Paul finished second with 12,109 votes, while the PDP candidate garnered 3,398 votes.
In his statement on Monday, Paul alleged that the election was marred by “voter suppression, result manipulation, intimidation of party supporters, and vote buying across several wards,” calling into question the credibility of the declared outcome.
Tuesday’s reported attack in Edo underscores growing concerns over the safety of political figures and the state of democracy in Nigeria amid escalating political tensions.