Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, has attributed the recent violent incident involving attack on former presidential candidate Peter Obi and other African Democratic Congress (ADC) figures to internal factional disputes within the party, rather than any involvement by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the state government.
The commissioner firmly denied any complicity by the APC or Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, emphasizing that the governor, who was attending a conference in Abuja at the time, promptly directed the Commissioner of Police to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences.
The statement comes amid reports that gunmen attacked the ADC secretariat in Benin City and trailed a convoy to the residence of ADC leader Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on Tuesday. The violence followed a party event welcoming former Labour Party governorship candidate Olumide Akpata into the ADC.
Peter Obi and Odigie-Oyegun narrowly escaped harm as attackers fired shots that damaged vehicles and the residence gate, prompting widespread condemnation from opposition figures, who described the incident as a survived assassination attempt and an assault on democracy.
The ADC chairman in Edo, Kennedy Odion, accused the APC of orchestrating the violence. However, Commissioner Afegbua suggested that disgruntled ADC members, reportedly barred from attending a previous party meeting, may have instigated the chaos as part of the party’s internal rift.
