Bullets and Factions: How an Internal ADC Power Struggle in Edo Culminated in a Violent Attack on Peter Obi and Oyegun
MAKOGI — A deepening factional crisis within the Edo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) spiraled into outright violence on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, when armed hoodlums attacked top political figures, including former presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Edo Governor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
The brazen daylight attack occurred shortly after the formal defection of Olumide Akpata—the former Labour Party governorship candidate—into the ADC at the party’s secretariat on Ogbelaka Street, Benin City. However, political analysts and rival parties quickly linked the violence directly to a fierce power struggle that tore the state’s party leadership apart just 24 hours earlier.
The sudden eruption of gunfire on Tuesday has intensified the blame game. Jarret Tenebe, the Edo State Chairman of the APC, dismissed claims that the attackers were external thugs sent to intimidate Peter Obi. “What happened was as a result of factions within the Edo ADC,” Tenebe stated. “You saw Owie fighting Oyegun just yesterday. They should not drag us into their factional fight.”
The Attack: Trailed from the Secretariat
The defection ceremony, intended to showcase the ADC’s growing “Third Force” momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, abruptly turned chaotic.
The Invasion: Suspected thugs stormed the ADC secretariat in an unmarked Sienna bus, firing shots, destroying canopies, and smashing plastic chairs.
The Chase: Armed individuals then trailed the convoys of Peter Obi and Chief Odigie-Oyegun to the latter’s residence in the Government Reservation Area (GRA).
The Damage: Attackers fired multiple shots at Odigie-Oyegun’s gate and smashed the windscreens of several SUVs. Fortunately, the key dignitaries were already safely inside the compound.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, condemned the incident, describing it as a “survived assassination attempt” and declaring that “democracy is in danger.”
The Prelude: A Bitter Leadership Crisis
While Obi’s camp points to external political intimidation, the Edo State Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) attribute the violence to a severe internal ADC power struggle in Edo.
On Monday, the day before the attack, the ADC fractured publicly over a leadership caucus meeting convened by Chief Odigie-Oyegun at his residence.
The Exclusion: Several founding members and financiers of the Edo ADC, including former Senate Chief Whip Rowland Owie and Sunny Aguebor, arrived at the meeting only to find their names omitted from the security invite list.
The Standoff: Enraged by the lockout, the aggrieved chieftains took over the entrance of Odigie-Oyegun’s compound. They accused him of hijacking the party structure and excluding statutory members from crucial senatorial planning.
The Intervention: The standoff only ended when a unit of armed police officers from the State Command arrived to defuse the tension.
“Enough is enough of John Oyegun,” Senator Owie declared to the press on Monday. “He cannot disrespect those who are building the party.”
Trading Blame Over the Gunfire
The sudden eruption of gunfire on Tuesday has intensified the blame game. Jarret Tenebe, the Edo State Chairman of the APC, dismissed claims that the attackers were external thugs sent to intimidate Peter Obi. “What happened was as a result of factions within the Edo ADC,” Tenebe stated. “You saw Owie fighting Oyegun just yesterday. They should not drag us into their factional fight.”
Meanwhile, the South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mabel Oboh, fiercely condemned the attack, insisting that political participation must remain safe and lawful, while urging security agencies to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators.
The Edo Police Command has deployed operatives to restore normalcy around the secretariat and Odigie-Oyegun’s residence, confirming that investigations are ongoing to uncover whether the bullets were fired by rival political thugs or disgruntled party factions.