Alleged attack on ADC: Coalition of Edo Civil Society Organizations warns political parties not to create crisis where there are none

Coalition of Edo Civil Society Organizations, a socio-political group based in Benin City, the Edo State capital, has called on political parties in the state to “play by the rules and not create crisis where there are none.”

In a statement endorsed by the group’s Convener, Braimoh Idris and Co-Convener, Andrew Akhere and made available to this publication on Saturday afternoon, the group said that “we are saddened about the tales by moonlight peddled by enemies of Edo State over last Tuesday’s events in Benin City, wherein leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) claimed they were attacked and shot at at their party Secretariat and residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in Benin City.”

It expressed its disgust “to see a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, succeeding to spin the narrative to gain public sympathy that he escaped assassination and was shot at.”

Going further, the group lambasted the management of an acclaimed national newspaper (name withheld) “which wrote an editorial on the event that happened that day.

“The newspaper went to the gutter to say Peter Obi’s convoy was shot at and that he and Chief John Oyegun escaped assassination.”

Coalition of the Edo Civil Society OrganizationThe Coalition said that in the course of carrying out diligent investigation on the event whereby witnesses at the ADC Secretariat, security operatives at Oyegun’s residence and other neighbours were spoken to it was discovered that “Peter Obi was never shot at in Benin City. He and Chief Oyegun never escaped assassination.

“What happened, according to members of the ADC and other witnesses, was that: “The event at the ADC Secretariat, which was attended by top leaders of the party, has been concluded and all dignitaries including journalists have left the venue before the so-called thugs stormed the venue; no gunshot was fired at the ADC Secretariat.

“Chief Oyegun and Peter Obi were inside the fortified residence of Oyegun when the thugs arrived. The witnesses said stones were hurled at the vehicles parked outside Oyegun’s residence and not gunshot.”

According to the Coalition of Edo Civil Society Organization, “if Oyegun and Peter Obi were targets of assassination, why were there vehicles not affected?

“Oyegun and Obi have Police escorts, how many bullets did they expended to repel the attackers.”

The Coalition asserted that it discovered from its investigation “that the ADC instigated the attacks to gain public sympathy.”