Trending 
The Department of State Services (DSS) has taken into custody a man suspected of orchestrating the recent attack on the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, in Benin City, the capital of Edo State.
Obi, alongside a former governor of Edo State, John Oyegun, and several leaders and members of the opposition All Democratic Congress (ADC), came under attack on 24 February. Armed assailants reportedly discharged several rounds of gunfire shortly after the party concluded a meeting in the state.
Following the incident, it was alleged that one Udeme Monday Stephen issued further threats against Obi via his X account, @stevetom788.
The assault was reported to have taken place shortly after party leaders returned from the ADC secretariat, where they had formally received a former Labour Party governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata, into the party.
Condemning the violence, Obi, who is also a prominent figure within the ADC, stated:
“We will make a formal complaint, and I assure you that this cannot continue,” Obi told the party members in Benin City.
“We have a country, and we are part of the country. We cannot have terrorism terrorising the country and have officials in government terrorising citizens. It is unacceptable,” he added.
In a similar vein, the ADC leadership declared that it would neither be intimidated nor withdraw in the face of the attack.
“Let it be clearly understood: violence and intimidation are the weapons of those who fear the will of the people. Such actions stain our democracy and must be condemned by all who believe in freedom,” the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Governor Monday Okpebholo also denounced the incident involving ADC members.
In a statement, Okpebholo described the episode as an internal party dispute that escalated beyond acceptable limits. While expressing sympathy with those affected, he remarked that it was regrettable that certain individuals allegedly took advantage of the state’s peaceful climate to instigate violence.
“As peace-loving people, the importation of thugs and miscreants from outside the state under the guise of party politics remains totally condemned and will not be tolerated going forward,” he said.
