Peter Obi narrowly escaped an apparent assassination attempt on Tuesday when armed thugs opened fire on his convoy in Benin City, Edo State, during a high-profile defection ceremony, according to organisers of the Obidient Movement.
The incident occurred shortly after Obi and leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) left the party secretariat following the formal declaration of former Edo Labour Party chairman Olumide Akpata into the ADC. Gunmen trailed the group to the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, where they fired shots at the gate and damaged several vehicles.
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, raised the alarm in a statement describing the attack as a direct threat to Obi and senior ADC figures. “PO and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State,” Tanko said.
He provided further details: “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.”
No casualties were reported from the shooting.
The attack comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Obi and the Obidient Movement increasingly vocal in their criticism of the ruling All Progressives Congress administration.
Neither the Edo State Police Command nor the presidency had issued an official statement on the incident as of Tuesday evening.
