There was chaos in Benin City, Edo State yesterday following a violent attack on former presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, leaders and supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), shortly after the formal defection of Mr. Olumide Akpata into the party.
The incident reportedly occurred minutes after Akpata, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the 2024 Edo gubernatorial election, formally joined the ADC at the party's secretariat in Benin.
In a reaction to the incident, the commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state, Kassim Afegbua, said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state government cannot be blamed for the attack.
However, eyewitness accounts and party sources claimed that suspected political thugs stormed the ADC secretariat immediately after the event, vandalising property and injuring some party faithful.
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The situation escalated when the attackers trailed party leaders and supporters to the Benin GRA residence of an ADC national leader and former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, where sporadic gunshots were fired.
Obi, was among top political figures present at the residence when the attack occurred.
National coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, raised the alarm in a statement titled "Breaking Red Alert in Benin, Edo State," alleging that Obi and the ADC leadership came under direct threat.
According to Tanko, "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 surviving assassination attempt on our lives.
LEADERSHIP gathered that multiple vehicles parked on the premises were vandalised during the incident, as panic-stricken supporters scampered for safety amid the sound of gunfire.
The defection ceremony had earlier drawn prominent political actors, including Obi and other ADC leaders, who had gathered to formally receive Akpata into the party.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies in Edo State had yet to issue an official statement confirming the attack or announcing arrests in connection with the incident.
However, some armed security personnel had been deployed around the GRA residence of Oyegun apparently to prevent further attacks.
However, the commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua said that APC or the state government cannot be blamed for the attack.
He said that the party was already divided based on the issue that took place in Oyegun's house on Monday when some party members, including a former Chief whip of the Senate, Roland Owie were shut out.
He stated that the state governor, Monday Okpebholo and some members of the exco were in Abuja attending a conference noting that the governor had urged the Commissioner of Police to effect the arrest of the thugs.
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