Gun attack on ADC leaders in Edo

2026-03-04 - 00:47

The savage attack that took place in Benin City, Edo State, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 could be a sign that Nigerians might be in for a violent campaign and general election season. African Democratic Congress, ADC, leaders, including former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, gathered in the home of one of the party’s national leaders, Chief John Oyegun, to receive former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide Akpata (SAN) as their new member. Akpata was the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the September 2024 Edo Governorship Election which produced the incumbent Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo. Some armed thugs descended on the venue, sprayed bullets on the gate of Oyegun’s house and smashed the glasses of several vehicles belonging to the opposition party leaders. They also attacked the party secretariat. The ADC leaders called it an “assassination attempt”. But Governor Okpebholo, in a personally signed statement, portrayed the attack as an internal crisis within the ADC “taken too far”. Condemning the incident, Okpebholo said: “As peace-loving people, the importation of thugs and miscreants from outside the state under the guise of party politics remains totally condemned and will not be tolerated going forward”. He said the objective was to undermine the reputation of Edo as a peaceful state. The ADC also pointed accusing fingers at the Edo State Governor. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, recalled the “pattern of inflammatory rhetoric and threats that have preceded these events, including the outrageous claim by Governor Okpebholo who had earlier issued a threat that he would not guarantee the safety of Mr Peter Obi should he visit Edo State”. Indeed, in July 2025, Governor Okpebholo had been on record threatening that he could not guarantee the safety of Obi, the former presidential candidate of the LP when the latter was visiting the state which is regarded as the “home” of the Obidient Movement. He had demanded that Obi should first obtain his clearance to enable him provide for his security. Our worries over this violent episode stem from a similar gun violence that claimed the life of a police officer, Inspector Onuh Akoh, on duty at the Benin Airport during the governorship campaign on July 18, 2024. The camps of the main contenders, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had also traded blames. Till date, the culprits behind the policeman’s murder are yet to be named. We urge politicians to eschew violence as we move into the campaigns and general elections. Freedom of movement and security of all political contenders are constitutional and fundamental rights and must be respected. If everybody resorts to violence, nobody will be safe. Those behind the gun attacks on the ADC in Edo State must be fished out.