ADC Fingers Gov Okpebholo In Attack On Obi, Oyegun, Others

By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, blamed the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for the attack by armed hoodlums on the Edo state Secretariat and its leading members including, Peter Obi.

This is as the emerging opposition Coalition platform said it will report the unfortunate incident and the troubling pattern of opposition harassment to Diplomatic Missions ,and  the ECOWAS Court of Human Rights.

The Source reports that Obi, the former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, some prominent members of the ADC were Tuesday, February 24, attacked at the Benin residence of Chief John Oyegun, a former Governor of Edo State, after being trailed from the party’s Secretariat.

Although no lives were lost in the unprovoked attack, scores of vehicles parked at Oyegun’s residence were riddled with bullets ,and the windshield severely damaged.

In a statement from its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Wednesday, the ADC alleged that Governor Okpebholo’s series of incendiary and inflammatory rhetorics ,and threats preceded the attack on Obi, Oyegun and the party’s State Headquarters.

According to the ADC , Governor Okpebholo’s earlier threat of not guaranteeing Obi’s safety in the State, as well as his well documented inflammatory rhetorics of late were at the root of the attack.

 The ADC expressed serious concern over what it described as a troubling pattern of premeditated attacks targeting the opposition camp not only in Edo state but the entire country.

According to the party, the All Progressive Congress APC and the Federal Government have increasingly become terrorists organizations with the opposition platforms their primary targets.

The ADC, particularly accused Governor Okpebholo of stoking tension and crises in Edo State, through his unguarded and inflammatory comments, thereby threatening the peace and stability of the State.

“This was not an isolated incident . It bears the unmistakable marks of a dangerous, and escalating pattern of political intimidation, and terror against our party across the country.

“The resort to gunfire against lawful political actors represents an act of terrorism against the opposition which has no place in a constitutional democracy.

“We are, particularly, alarmed by the pattern of inflammatory rhetoric and threats that preceded these events, including the outrageous claim by the Edo state Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who had earlier issued a threat that he would not guarantee the safety of Mr Peter Obi should he visit Edo state.

“The Governor has since gone ahead to make further ridiculous and irresponsible claim that the ADC is sponsoring cultism in Edo state ,and threatened to start demolishing properties of the opposition in the State.

“Let it be said plainly, Nigeria is not a private estate. Edo State is not the personal property of any party or Governor. No elected official has the constitutional authority to threaten, harass ,or endanger law-abiding political actors for exercising their democratic rights.

“Our members and supporters across Edo State and Nigeria have the constitutional right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and right to lawful self-defence.”

The party warned it will not hesitate to hold the Federal Government and Edo State authorities accountable for any harm that comes to its members.

“The Federal Government and the Edo State Government are free to continue in their present course. But let there be no misunderstanding: If any harm comes to our leaders,  members or supporters as a result of this escalating climate of official hostility, intimidation, or incitement, the responsibility for whatever consequences that follow will rest squarely with those who chose the path of provocation over the the path of peace.

“We are compiling all cases of acts of terrorism by the ruling APC against our party. We shall soon be making our reports available to all Diplomatic Missions as well as the ECOWAS Court of Human Rights”,Abdullahi stated .

The ADC also assured that no orchestrated political witch-hunt will make it to abdicate its responsibility of holding Government at all levels to account.