The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, come under intense criticism from the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) over the assassination attempt on Peter Obi and John Odigie Oyegun in Benin City by yet to be identified assailants
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government and the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) alleged politics of intolerance against opposition parties and politicians came to anti-climax on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 when intelligence garnered by the hierarchy of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) foiled the plot to assassinate a former governor of Edo State, John Odigie Oyegun and the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
There was tension in Benin City, the Edo State capital, when the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Obi, and former Governor of Edo State, Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the ADC, escaped attacks by gunmen who allegedly attempted to assassinate the two ADC leaders.
Obi and other leaders of the ADC had gone to Benin City to welcome defectors to the party. Few minutes after the defectors were formally welcomed to the ADC fold, including former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the LP 2024 governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, gunmen attacked the facility at Ogbelaka Street, Off Sakponba Road, Benin City, and the residence of the party’s National Leader, Odigie-Oyegun.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the alleged assassins, Obi said, “It is time to speak up. It is time those in government act. They are not going to be there forever. What they allowed to happen in the country today will take its revenge on all of us and the country.”
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the attackers, who arrived in an unmarked Sienna bus and on a motorcycle, fired several gunshots and vandalised party property, including chairs, canopies and banners. Some members reportedly sustained injuries.
The attackers shifted their operation to Oyegun’s residence where Obi reportedly took refuge. The assailants proceeded to the residence of the former Edo Govenor on Reservation Road, where more gunshots were heard and vehicles parked near the gate were riddled with bullets.
A video circulating online showed damaged vehicles and the gate perforated with bullet holes.
Speaking in the video, Obi said, “This is a former governor of the state (Odigie-Oyegun). You can see what happened in front of his house where hoodlums came, shooting. Look at the gate, see the bullet holes at the gate, several cars damaged. That is where our democracy has reached.”
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, alleged that the attackers trailed the leaders from the secretariat.
“The leadership of the ADC is under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State. Armed individuals followed us from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of John Odigie-Oyegun and shot at the gate, destroying several vehicles,” he said.
On his part, while speaking to the media, Odigie-Oyegun warned that the development could trigger chaos if not checked.
According to him, “I am afraid that our leaders, both at the centre and in this state, are playing with fire. The consequences could be terrible, much more than any of you expect.
“Halfway through the proceedings, we got intelligence report certainly from one of the security agencies that they have information that the place is going to be attacked, so we should please try to wind up.
“You can’t ignore information. So, we cut short our proceedings and I think we were just barely lucky to have left there in time because thereafter it looked like all hell broke loose. People arrived here in about 10 vehicles shooting all over the place. People were injured.”
“There was no cooperation, coordination between the security agencies such that that venue at least will get emergency protection. People were able to come in so many vehicles, shoot their way, break into the building and go away. And this is a state where we have a governor and where the first duty of any government is to protect us.”
“We had a guest, the former governor of Anambra and one of the prominent leaders of the ADC. From all indications, an aspirant.
“The government here had threatened that if he came to Edo State without permission, his security cannot be guaranteed. He was paying a courtesy visit to me and bullets started raining all over the place. When did we degenerate to that kind of level?”
The Edo State Chairman of the ADC, Kennedy Odion, accused the APC, of masterminding the attack. He said, “We heard APC was coming to attack us. We quickly cut short the event and ended the programme. Few minutes after we ended, we heard thugs stormed the venue. They injured three people. After they scattered the place, they came to Oyegun’s house where we were having another meeting. All the vehicles parked outside were destroyed.
“Myself, Peter Obi, Senator Owie and Oyegun have left the venue when we heard about the thugs’ attack. They injured three people.
“We have reported the matter and the Commissioner of Police came to see the level of damage that has been done. He assured them they will investigate. I told him not to allow this attack slide. Three persons were injured. The vehicles destroyed were many.”
But in response to the ugly incident, the Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, attributed the violence to internal crisis within the ADC.
Afegbua said, “The crisis has been ongoing. Even yesterday, we had to use the police to quell the crisis. What happened was just the height of it.”
On allegations that Governor Monday Okpebholo had earlier warned Obi against visiting Edo without permission, Afegbua said: “If Peter Obi had informed the governor that he was coming, what happened today would not have happened. The governor would have provided security for him. Thank God nothing happened to Peter Obi.”
Akpata described the incident as a sad commentary on democracy, saying, “Such happening makes someone very sad but it shows that people are not comfortable with opposition which should be part of democracy. Opposition must be allowed to thrive, that’s what makes democracy. As far as I am concerned, it is because we are in the opposition that is why we are under attack.”
The Edo State Police Command has also confirmed the attack. It’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Eno Ikoedem, said, “On 24 February 2026 at about 2:55 p.m., a political gathering was held at the ADC State Secretariat. Shortly after the event concluded, a group of suspected hoodlums disrupted the premises and chased attendees away. Personnel of the Command responded swiftly.
“Some plastic chairs and canopies were damaged. No casualties were reported. Security has since been reinforced. Investigations are ongoing.”
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, described the incident as “utterly condemnable.” He said, “The violent attack on Peter Obi, John Oyegun, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Olumide Akpata, and other Coalition ADC leaders in Benin is utterly condemnable and unacceptable in any democracy.
“In recent times, we have witnessed reckless and inflammatory rhetoric from elements within the ruling party in Edo State. Words, when weaponised, often precede actions. What happened in Benin did not occur in a vacuum.
“Nigeria must not descend into a theatre where politics is settled by violence.”
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has described the attack as a “brazen and reprehensible assault” on democracy.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Egbeola Martins, IPAC called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
The IPAC statement read, “We unequivocally condemn the brazen and reprehensible attack on former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and former Governor of Edo State, John Odigie-Oyegun and other leaders of the ADC.
“The reported assault on the ADC secretariat as well as the attack on the residence of Chief Odigie-Oyegun by suspected thugs represents one of the gravest manifestations of political intolerance in recent times. Such acts are not only criminal but constitute a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic order.
“The use of thuggery, intimidation and brute force to silence opposition voices is dangerous, unacceptable and capable of derailing our hard-earned democracy if not urgently addressed. Democracy thrives on healthy competition of ideas, not the barrel of a gun,” IPAC said.
The council urged President Bola Tinubu to “rise above partisan considerations” and ensure that all perpetrators were tracked, arrested and prosecuted without delay.
It also urged Governor Okpebholo to “demonstrate statesmanship” and guarantee justice, warning that a culture of violence against opposition parties could threaten national stability.
The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo has equally condemned the assassination attempt. In a statement he signed, Okpebholo expressed sympathy with affected ADC members.
The statement said: “As peace-loving people, the importation of thugs and miscreants from outside the state under the guise of party politics remains totally condemned and will not be tolerated going forward.
“As Chief Security Officer of the state, I will not stand by and allow Edo to be turned into a theatre of conflict in the name of political rivalry.
“Even though the precise motive behind this attack may not yet be fully known, I strongly believe that the ultimate objective is to discredit Edo State and undermine its reputation as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.’’
The leadership of the ADC, however, said it intends to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion to ensure that there would be no repeat of such attack against its members. The party threatened to take the APC to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice over assassination attempt on its leaders in Edo State.
The opposition party said the attack targeted Oyegun, Obi and Akpata, while declaring that it would deploy every lawful means available, including international legal action to compel Tinubu government to investigate the alleged assassination.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated: “The African Democratic Congress condemns, in the strongest possible terms, yesterday’s disturbing gun attack and assassination attempt in Edo State targeting Chief John Oyegun, former governor of Edo State and Chairman of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee; Mr. Peter Obi, a national leader of our party; and Mr. Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party candidate for Edo State who recently joined the ADC.
“This was not an isolated incident. It bears the unmistakable marks of a dangerous and escalating pattern of political intimidation and terror against our party across the country. The resort to gunfire against lawful political actors represents an act of terrorism against the opposition, which has no place in a constitutional democracy.”
“We are particularly alarmed by the pattern of inflammatory rhetoric and threats that have preceded these events, including the outrageous claim by Governor Okpebholo, who had earlier issued a threat that he would not guarantee the safety of Mr. Peter Obi should he visit Edo State.
“The governor has since gone ahead to make further ridiculous and irresponsible claims that the ADC is sponsoring cultism in Edo State, and threatened to start demolishing properties of the opposition in the State.
“Let it be said plainly: Nigeria is not a private estate. Edo State is not the personal property of any party or any governor. No elected official has the constitutional authority to threaten, harass, or endanger law-abiding political actors for exercising their democratic rights. Our members and supporters across Edo State and Nigeria have the constitutional right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and right to lawful self-defence.
“We are compiling all cases of acts of terrorism by the ruling APC against our party. We shall soon be making our reports available to all diplomatic missions as well as the ECOWAS Court of Human Rights.”
