Atiku Condemns Attack On Obi, Oyegun, Others In Edo, Warns Against Political Violence

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the violent attack on opposition figures, including Peter Obi, John Oyegun, Oserheimen Osunbor, and Olumide Akpata, describing the incident as “utterly condemnable and unacceptable in any democracy.”

LEADERSHIP reported that tension gripped Benin City on Tuesday when leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who gathered for the formal declaration of Akpata into the party ahead of the political season in the state, came under gun attack.

According to Dr. Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obedient Movement, the delegation departed the ADC Secretariat in high spirits before noticing suspicious vehicles trailing their convoy.

“What started as mild concern rapidly evolved into a dangerous situation,” Tanko was quoted as saying. He explained that as the convoy approached the residence of Oyegun, gunmen opened fire, shooting at the gate and damaging several vehicles.

Members of the delegation reportedly fled for safety, believing they had narrowly escaped what appeared to be an assassination attempt. Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, was also said to have narrowly escaped as the attackers continued shooting.

Tanko confirmed that despite the intensity of the attack, no casualties were recorded.

In a statement posted on his Facebook handle on Wednesday, Atiku said the attack on the Coalition ADC leaders in Benin City, Edo State, did not happen in isolation, warning that inflammatory political rhetoric could fuel violence.

“The violent attack on Peter Obi, Chief John Oyegun, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Olumide Akpata, and other Coalition ADC leaders in Benin, Edo State, is utterly condemnable and unacceptable in any democracy,” he said.

Atiku accused elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State of engaging in reckless rhetoric that “dangerously legitimises violence against political opponents.”

“In recent times, we have witnessed reckless and inflammatory rhetoric from elements within the ruling party in Edo State. Words, when weaponised, often precede actions. What happened in Benin did not occur in a vacuum,” he added.

The former vice president warned that Nigeria was entering a “perilous phase” where opposition voices were no longer only subjected to institutional pressure but were now facing physical attacks.

“Nigeria is entering a perilous phase in which opposition voices are not only harassed through state institutions but are now being physically targeted. The ruling APC appears to have escalated its intolerance from bureaucratic suppression to open aggression,” Atiku stated.

He further called on President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs to ensure the safety of all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.

“Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security chiefs bear a constitutional responsibility to guarantee the protection of lives and property without discrimination or partisanship. The safety of opposition leaders and supporters is not a favour; it is a democratic obligation,” he said.

Atiku cautioned that political competition in Nigeria must not degenerate into violence.

“Nigeria must not descend into a theatre where politics is settled by violence,” he warned.