Obi, Oyegun Escape as Gunmen Attack ADC Rally in Edo

Obi, Oyegun Escape as Gunmen Attack ADC Rally in Edo

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Gunmen on Tuesday invaded a rally of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, Edo State, firing shots that reportedly targeted the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and former Edo State governor, John Oyegun.

The rally, held at the ADC secretariat on Ogbelaka Street, off Sapele Road, was organised to formally receive Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party’s 2024 Edo governorship candidate, into the ADC.

Eyewitness accounts said hoodlums stormed the venue during the event before trailing Obi and other party leaders to Oyegun’s residence.

The attackers reportedly opened fire on vehicles in the convoy shortly after they arrived at the residence, damaging the gate and several cars.

A media aide to Obi, Valentine Obienyem, confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement, saying the politicians had noticed “unusual activities” by individuals in Sienna vehicles while at the secretariat.

“As Obi left the secretariat for Chief Oyegun’s residence, these vehicles followed him,” Obienyem said. “Once Obi’s car entered the residence and the gate was shut, the Sienna buses arrived and opened fire on the convoy.”

He added that security personnel returned fire, forcing the attackers to flee. “Thankfully, no lives were lost, though several people sustained varying degrees of injuries,” he stated.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, described the incident as “a survived assassination attempt on our lives,” adding that “democracy is in danger.”

In a video circulating online, Obi pointed at visible bullet marks on Oyegun’s gate and said, “The hoodlums came in front of his house, shooting. If you look at his gate, you can see the bullet marks. Several cars were damaged.”

He described the attack as unacceptable, arguing that citizens should not be exposed to violence in a democratic setting.

The Edo State Police Command confirmed that hoodlums invaded the ADC secretariat at about 2:55 p.m., disrupting the rally and damaging plastic chairs and canopies.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said patrol teams responded promptly to a distress call, prompting the suspects to flee.

“No casualties were reported. Security personnel have since been deployed to the area to maintain law and order and prevent any further disturbance,” she said, adding that the situation was under control.

The police statement, however, did not address the reported shooting at Oyegun’s residence.

The attack comes months after Governor Monday Okpebholo warned Obi against visiting Edo State without notifying the state government or obtaining security clearance, stating at a rally that his security would not be guaranteed otherwise.

As of press time, no arrests had been announced in connection with Tuesday’s incident.