Former presidential candidate Peter Obi, former APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and some top officials of the African Democratic Congress were reportedly targeted by gunmen in Edo State on Tuesday.
The attack was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Obi’s ex-campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide.
Tanko said the incident occurred during political activities marking the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the ADC. “Peter Obi and other ADC leaders were under attack in Benin, Edo State.
Armed men followed us from the ADC Secretariat to Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s residence, firing shots at the gate and damaging multiple vehicles. It appears to have been an attempted assassination,” the statement read.
Images and videos shared by Tanko showed several vehicles with broken windshields and the main gate of Odigie-Oyegun’s home riddled with bullets, highlighting the severity of the assault.
The attack has raised alarm over growing political tensions in Edo State, as opposition figures continue to express concern over their safety and the general state of democracy.
Obi and the ADC officials were seen inspecting the damage to their cars and property following the attack.
The incident follows political unrest surrounding the February 21 Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election.
Dr. Moses Paul, the ADC candidate, alongside the Obidient Movement, rejected the declared results, accusing INEC of manipulating votes, intimidating party supporters, and engaging in voter suppression.
The commission had declared APC’s Christopher Maikalangu winner with 40,295 votes, while Paul scored 12,109 votes, and the PDP candidate received 3,398 votes.
