The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the recent gunmen attack in Benin City, describing it as a troubling reflection of the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
Obi spoke in a video circulated online following the attack at the residence of former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the property, leaving the gate and several vehicles riddled with bullets.
Pointing to the damaged gate in the footage, Obi said the incident underscored how far the country’s democratic system had deteriorated.
“This is where our democracy has reached. A former governor, and you can see what happened in front of his house, where hoodlums came shooting,” he said.
He added that such acts of violence must not be allowed to persist, warning against a situation where citizens feel terrorised.
The attack reportedly occurred shortly after Obi, Odigie-Oyegun and other political figures attended the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City.
A video from the scene showed visible bullet holes on the estate gate and damaged vehicles, indicating the severity of the attack.
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, alleged that the attackers trailed the political leaders from the ADC Secretariat to Odigie-Oyegun’s residence before opening fire.
According to Tanko, the assailants shot at the gate and destroyed several official vehicles in what he described as a failed assassination attempt targeting the political figures.
