** Demands IGP, Independent probes
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Obidient Movement says it unequivocally condemns the coordinated and violent attack on Mr. Peter Obi, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, Edo State, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
In a statement made available to the media in Abuja, it argued that what occurred in Benin City, capital of Edo state was not a political scuffle, pointing out that it was a premeditated, two-pronged assassination attempt.
It said that the armed assailants first invaded the ADC secretariat on Ogbelaka Street shortly after a party rally. They then trailed the convoy of ADC leaders to the private residence of Chief Odigie-Oyegun, where they opened sporadic gunfire on vehicles and the property.
The Movement said bullet-riddled vehicles and expended cartridges recovered at the scene confirmed the severity and intent of this assault even as several persons sustained injuries.
The Obidient Movement’s statement read in full:
“This attack did not happen in a vacuum. On July 18th, 2025, the Governor of Edo State publicly stated that Mr. Obi’s security would not be guaranteed if he visited the state without prior clearance.
Yesterday, that threat was visibly translated into bullets. The connection between that inflammatory rhetoric and this act of violence is impossible to ignore.
This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a widening pattern of intimidation and violence directed at opposition leaders and party structures across the country. Similar attacks have been reported at ADC gatherings in other states. The intent is clear: to suppress political opposition and silence dissenting voices through brute force.
Things have now regressed from mere rhetoric to actual violence and threats to life.
The failure of the state in this matter is glaring. Intelligence about the planned attack was received in advance, yet the assailants operated with impunity across two locations.
The initial police statement, which referenced only damaged chairs and canopies while omitting the gunfire at Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s residence, is a deliberate attempt to minimize the gravity of what happened.
” The Edo State Government’s characterization of this as an internal party matter is an insult to the victims and an abdication of its constitutional duty to protect all citizens.
The Obidient Movement demands the following:
An immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into this assassination attempt, free from the influence of state actors implicated in the attack.
Federal-level intervention by the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the perpetrators and their sponsors are identified, arrested, and prosecuted.
A public condemnation from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a directive to his party members in Edo State and political actors across the country to cease all acts of political violence and intimidation.
This attack will not break our resolve. It strengthens it. The Obidient Movement will continue to exercise its constitutional rights to free assembly, free movement, and political participation in every part of this country. We will not cower in fear.
We are resolute in the demand for a Nigeria where political competition is decided by ideas and ballots, not by thugs and bullets.
We will not be intimidated. We will not back down.
A New Nigeria Is POssible”
