The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it will file a suit against the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court of human rights over Tuesday’s attack on Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, and other chieftains of the party in Benin, the Edo state capital.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said Obi and some ADC figures were attacked at the residence of John Odigie-Oyegun, a chieftain of the party.
Tanko said the incident occurred shortly after they returned from the ADC secretariat, where they formally welcomed Olumide Akpata, the 2023 LP governorship candidate for Edo, into the party.
Reacting to the incident, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC national publicity secretary, described the attack as part of an escalating pattern of political intimidation against opposition figures across the country.
In a statement shared via X on Wednesday, Abdullahi said the attack indicates an act of terrorism against the opposition figures, saying the party will report the matter to all diplomatic missions in the West Africa sub-region.
The ADC spokesperson also raised alarm over what he called inflammatory rhetoric and threats preceding the incident, accusing Monday Okpebholo, the state governor, of making statements “capable of heightening tensions and triggering a breakdown of law and order”.
