Olushola Omogbehin
The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi and former Governor of Edo State, John Odigie-Oyegun, with other key members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, escaped attacks from gunmen yestaerday in Edo State.
This happened some minutes after leaders of the ADC, including Peter Obi received former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide Akpata into the party.
The attack occurred at Ogbelaka Street, Off Sokponba Road, Benin City, and the residence of the party’s National Leader, Odigie-Oyegun.
Disclosing what transpired, 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.”
The attackers were said to have fired gunshots and destryed party property, including chairs, canopies and banners and some party members sustained injuries.
In an online circulating 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.”
Odigie-Oyegun said that the development could cause more trouble for the country.
“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,” he said.
Oyegun said they got security alert informing them of a planned attack which they acted on without delay.
“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.”
In its own reaction, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said
“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.
