By Kingston Magare 24.2.2026
Former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential aspirant Peter Obi, former Edo State governor John Odigie Oyegun and many other African Democratic Congress chieftains escaped death in Benin City Tuesday after they were attacked by thugs.
Obi and Oyegun were in Benin City to welcome Olumide Akpata to the ADC at the Party’s secretariat and they hurried left after receiving information they were going to be attacked. Unknowing to them the thugs followed them to Chief Oyegun’s house where they opened fire and destroyed vehicles and other property.
“Peter Obi and the leadership of the ADC came under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State. At the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, 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 survived assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger,” said Dr Yunusa Tanko coordinator of the Obidient Movement.
Chief Oyegun reacting to the attack stated that those in authority are playing with fire, adding that attacks on opposition figures could plunge the country into chaos.
“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. I will still talk to the media.
“All I wish to say is holding a meeting, scheduled meeting, everybody informed, duly informed, normal meeting in the premises of the party secretariat today, 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.
“Well, 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 looks like all hell broke loose. People arrived here in about 10 vehicles shooting all over the place, people injured and so the question is clear between the intel coming and our finishing the making.
“There was known cooperation, coordination between the security agencies such that that venue at least will get emergency protection. People were able to come in so many vehicles, shoot their way, break into the building, break the office, property and the rest of it and go away and this is a state where we have a governor and where the first duty of any government is to protect us?”
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