The Pathfinder
Wednesday February 25, 2026
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The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, has claimed that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi was almost assassinated in Benin, Edo State on Tuesday.
According to Tanko, the attack occurred on Tuesday during the high-profile defection of the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Tanko, armed thugs trailed Obi and the ADC leadership from the party’s secretariat to the private residence of the former National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Upon arrival, the assailants reportedly opened fire on the property, riddling the estate gate and several vehicles with bullets.
“Democracy is in danger,” Tanko warned in a terse statement, describing the group as being “under siege” by individuals intent on causing harm.
Video footage from the scene shows a visibly shaken but resilient Peter Obi pointing out the bullet holes at Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s residence. Obi condemned the incident as a sign of the deteriorating health of Nigeria’s democracy, questioning how such an attack could happen at the home of a former governor and elder statesman.
He vowed that the intimidation would not work, stating, “We cannot have officials in government terrorising the citizens.”
The violence follows a public warning previously issued by the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who had insisted that Obi must obtain security clearance before entering the state.
The Governor had earlier criticized Obi’s visit to a local hospital, questioning the source of a N15 million donation and claiming that previous visits had been followed by unrest.
Despite the heavy gunfire and significant property damage, no fatalities were reported among the political delegation, though the incident has thrown the state capital into a state of political tension.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress has officially linked Tuesday’s violent assault on Peter Obi and other party leaders to prior threats allegedly issued by the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.
In a strongly worded statement, the party described the incident as a “grave and disturbing development” that strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s democracy.
Through its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullah, the ADC noted that the attack did not happen in a vacuum.
The party pointed to warnings issued by Governor Okpebholo in July 2025, when he publicly cautioned Peter Obi against visiting Edo State without “security clearance.”
The Governor had at the time suggested that Obi’s presence triggered unrest and warned that his safety could not be guaranteed if he bypassed official protocols.
“Today’s attack is the manifestation of those threats,” the ADC statement read.
The party expressed shock that what was initially framed as “security advice” by the state government appears to have evolved into what they termed an “assassination plot.”
The ADC emphasized that violence and intimidation are the hallmarks of those who fear the will of the people and warned that such “stains on our democracy” must be condemned by all.
Reaffirming its commitment to the political process, the ADC declared that it would not be cowed.
“The ADC will neither bow nor retreat. We will stand firm, speak without fear, and continue the peaceful struggle for a Nigeria where the opposition is not punished,” Abdullah added.
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