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From Idu Jude, Abuja
The leadership of the Obidient Movement has unequivocally condemned the coordinated and violent attack on Mr Peter Obi, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, Edo State, on Tuesday.
The national coordinator of the movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa, said in a press statement on Wednesday that what occurred was not a political scuffle but a premeditated, two-pronged assassination attempt.
An eyewitness to the incident stated that “Armed assailants first invaded the ADC secretariat on Ogbelaka Street shortly after a party rally. They then trailed the convoy of ADC leaders to the private residence of Chief Odigie-Oyegun, where they opened sporadic gunfire on vehicles and the property. Bullet-riddled vehicles and expended cartridges recovered at the scene confirm the severity and intent of this assault. Several persons sustained injuries”.
Dr Tanko Yunusa highlighted that “This attack did not happen in a vacuum. On July 18th, 2025, the Governor of Edo State publicly stated that Mr. Obi’s security would not be guaranteed if he visited the state without prior clearance. Yesterday, that threat was visibly translated into bullets. The connection between that inflammatory rhetoric and this act of violence is impossible to ignore”.
However, he lamented that this is not an isolated incident. “It is part of a widening pattern of intimidation and violence directed at opposition leaders and party structures across the country.
The statement further read, “Similar attacks have been reported at ADC gatherings in other states. The intent is clear: to suppress political opposition and silence dissenting voices through brute force.
“Things have now regressed from mere rhetoric to actual violence and threats to life.
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The failure of the state in this matter is glaring. Intelligence about the planned attack was received in advance, yet the assailants operated with impunity across two locations.
“The initial police statement, which referenced only damaged chairs and canopies while omitting the gunfire at Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s residence, is a deliberate attempt to minimize the gravity of what happened. The Edo State Government’s characterization of this as an internal party matter is an insult to the victims and an abdication of its constitutional duty to protect all citizens”.
The Obidient Movement demands an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into this assassination attempt, free from the influence of state actors implicated in the attack.
“We demand Federal-level intervention by the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the perpetrators and their sponsors are identified, arrested, and prosecuted.
“We also demand public condemnation from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a directive to his party members in Edo State and political actors across the country to cease all acts of political violence and intimidation.
“This attack will not break our resolve. It strengthens it. The Obidient Movement will continue to exercise its constitutional rights to free assembly, free movement, and political participation in every part of this country.
“We will not cower in fear. We are resolute in the demand for a Nigeria where political competition is decided by ideas and ballots, not by thugs and bullets”, he concluded.
