The South-South zone of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to go beyond recent arrests and uncover those who financed and provided logistics for the attacks on the party’s Edo State secretariat and the residence of its national leader, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
The DSS had on Sunday arrested a 26-year-old suspect, Udeme Stephen, in connection with the February 24 attacks in Benin City. The incident reportedly targeted supporters of the ADC and the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
In a statement issued Tuesday by the party’s South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mabel Oboh, the ADC commended the DSS for taking action but insisted that a single arrest was not enough given the scale and coordination of the violence.
“The severity of what transpired and the sequence of events necessitate a more thorough investigation than a single arrest alone would suggest,” the statement read.
The party questioned whether the attack was truly the work of one individual, asking who financed it, who provided logistical support, and who stood to benefit from the climate of fear it allegedly sought to create.
Oboh clarified that the violence began at the ADC secretariat shortly after the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the party, an event attended by prominent figures including Peter Obi. Several people were injured in the assault, although Obi and other key leaders had reportedly left the venue moments before it began.
According to the statement, the attackers later moved to the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, where they allegedly fired shots and destroyed vehicles parked outside while party leaders were meeting indoors.
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“Two locations. High-profile figures. Coordinated movement. This was not a random act but indicative of planning,” the party said, warning that the use of firearms in a political context should concern all Nigerians.
While pledging not to inflame tensions, the ADC urged security agencies to follow all investigative leads—digital, financial, and operational—regardless of where they point.
Oboh stressed that democracy cannot thrive under intimidation or violence, adding that the South-South zone of the party remains calm and united.
“We refuse provocation. We refuse intimidation. And we reject the notion that violence should dictate the tone of our politics,” she said. “Nigeria’s democracy must never become a battleground of guns.”
