Tension gripped Benin City on Tuesday as leaders of the African Democratic Congress gathered for what was meant to be a major milestone, the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the party ahead of the political season in Edo State.
According to Dr. Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obedient Movement, the delegation left the ADC Secretariat in high spirits before noticing suspicious vehicles trailing their convoy. What started as mild concern rapidly evolved into a dangerous situation.
As the convoy approached the home of elder statesman John Odigie-Oyegun, gunmen reportedly launched an attack, firing shots at the gate and damaging several vehicles. Members of the delegation fled for safety, convinced they had narrowly avoided what appeared to be an assassination attempt.
Also present was Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, who was said to have narrowly escaped as the attackers continued shooting indiscriminately.
Tanko confirmed that on Tuesday, despite the intensity of the attack, no casualties were recorded.
He noted that the political atmosphere in the state had reached a deeply troubling point. Leaders, though shaken, pledged not to allow violence to derail their mission.
In a statement shared on his verified account, Tanko wrote:
“Breaking Red Alert in Benin, Edo State. PO and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack. 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. Democracy is in danger.”
