The Obidient Movement has called for immediate federal intervention following what it described as a coordinated attack on former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, Edo State.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the movement characterised the incident as a “premeditated, two-pronged assassination attempt” and demanded an independent and transparent investigation devoid of political interference.
“The Obidient Movement unequivocally condemns the coordinated and violent attack on Mr Peter Obi, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress in Benin City,” the statement read. It was signed by the National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko.
According to the statement, the attack occurred on Tuesday shortly after a rally held in Benin City. Armed assailants reportedly stormed the ADC secretariat located on Ogbelaka Street, disrupting activities at the party office.
The movement further alleged that the attackers trailed the convoy of party leaders from the secretariat to the private residence of Odigie-Oyegun, where gunfire was allegedly opened on vehicles and property within the premises.
Describing the incident as a grave threat to democratic engagement and political pluralism, the group urged security agencies to act swiftly in identifying and prosecuting those responsible.
It also called on the Federal Government to ensure the safety of political actors across party lines, warning that failure to decisively address such incidents could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities in Edo State had yet to issue an official statement detailing arrests or confirming the full extent of damage arising from the incident.
