On February 24, 2026, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including former Edo Governor Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, reportedly came under violent attack in Benin City, Edo State. The incident occurred during and after the formal declaration and defection of Barrister Olumide Akpata into the ADC. According to Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, armed individuals trailed the group from the ADC Secretariat to Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s residence, where they fired shots at the gate, riddled several vehicles with bullets, and caused significant damage.
Tanko described the event in a statement titled “Breaking Red Alert in Benin, Edo State”: “PO and the leadership of the ADC are 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.”
Peter Obi is confirmed to have escaped unharmed, along with other key figures present. Circulating videos and photos from the scene show bullet casings scattered on the ground, damaged vehicles with shattered windows, and property destruction at the ADC office and residence. Obi was filmed condemning the attack, pointing out the bullet impacts and describing it as evidence of the deteriorating state of democracy in Nigeria. The attack follows prior tensions in Edo involving the ADC, including an earlier attempted arson on the party’s secretariat in February 2026 and reports of factional disputes. No official police confirmation or casualty details beyond property damage were immediately available, though some unverified accounts mentioned a woman injured and hospitalized in related chaos. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation as an assault on political opposition and democratic processes ahead of future elections.
