Former Labour Party presidential candidate and ex-Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has narrowly escaped what aides described as an assassination attempt after gunmen opened fire on his convoy at the residence of former APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in Benin City on Tuesday.
The attack occurred shortly after Obi, Odigie-Oyegun, and other political leaders attended the formal declaration of Barrister Olumide Akpata the 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Edo into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at the party’s secretariat in Benin.
According to the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, the assailants allegedly trailed the group from the ADC Secretariat to Odigie-Oyegun’s residence before unleashing gunfire. The attackers riddled the estate gate with bullets and destroyed several official vehicles in what Tanko called a failed assassination attempt targeting the political leaders.
A circulating video from the scene captured the aftermath, showing numerous bullet holes on the gate and damaged vehicles, underscoring the ferocity of the assault.
In a video statement shared online following the incident, Peter Obi condemned the attack and expressed deep concern over the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
“This is where our democracy has reached. A former governor, and you can see what happened in front of his house, where hoodlums came shooting.
“I assure you this cannot continue; we have a country, and we are a part of it. We cannot have terrorism and have officials in government terrorising the citizens,” Obi said, pointing to the bullet-riddled gate.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with Obi and his supporters viewing it as part of a broader pattern of political intimidation and violence in the country.
No casualties were reported from the shooting, and details on any police investigation or arrests remain limited at this time.
