The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has condemned the alleged attack on former presidential candidate Peter Obi, former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State, describing it as a dangerous escalation of political intolerance.
In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Egbeola Martins, IPAC said the incident reportedly occurred after a political ceremony in Benin welcoming Olumide Akpata into the ADC.
“The Inter-Party Advisory Council unequivocally condemns the brazen and reprehensible attack on former presidential candidate Peter Obi, former APC National Chairman and former Governor of Edo State John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the ADC,” Martins said.
He described the reported assault on the ADC secretariat and Odigie-Oyegun’s residence by suspected thugs as “one of the gravest manifestations of political intolerance in recent times.”
“Such acts are not only criminal but constitute a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic order,” he added, warning that political contestation must not descend into violence.
IPAC called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to ensure those responsible are identified and prosecuted. The council urged Tinubu to direct federal authorities to act swiftly and asked the governor to ensure justice is served, cautioning that unchecked violence could threaten national stability.
The reaction followed reports that Obi and Odigie-Oyegun were allegedly attacked during political activities linked to Akpata’s formal declaration for the ADC in Benin. Obi’s former campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, shared photos and videos showing sport utility vehicles with smashed windshields and alleged bullet marks on Odigie-Oyegun’s residence gate.
The Edo State government denied the allegations, describing claims that government officials were involved as false and malicious. In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, the government said the ADC’s account misrepresented the facts.
The reported incident has heightened concerns over rising political tensions in Edo State, amid disputes over recent electoral outcomes and growing debate about the safety of political actors and the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
