Fresh allegations have emerged from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after an incident in Benin City disrupted a gathering attended by senior party figures, with a member of its National Working Committee describing the episode as an attempted assassination.
Kenneth Okonkwo, a lawyer and ADC official, made the claims during an appearance on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday. He alleged that those responsible for the attack were connected to government authorities and characterised the incident as targeted violence against opposition politicians.
Okonkwo further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to weaken opposition parties, alleging efforts to steer the country towards a one-party system. He claimed the disruption in Benin formed part of a broader strategy aimed at intimidating political opponents.
Addressing the impact of the incident, he stated that no deaths had been confirmed at the time of his interview, although several individuals sustained injuries. He added that casualty figures were still being determined.
According to him, three former governors; John Odigie-Oyegun, Oserheimen Osunbor and Peter Obi, were present at the venue when the attack occurred. Okonkwo alleged that security personnel assigned to some of the attendees had been withdrawn prior to the incident, which he said made the gathering vulnerable.
He also said the matter had been reported to the authorities. Citing Odigie-Oyegun, he stated that the Commissioner of Police visited after the incident, though he added that further details regarding official action were not yet known.
