Reflecting on Tuesday’s gun attacks on the Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and his private residence where leaders of the party were meeting, former governor of the state, and a chieftain of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on Friday imagined what could have happened if they had not received a timely information of an impending attack from security agencies.
Among leaders of the party who escaped the gun attack were Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor and the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, former Edo State governor, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, Senator Roland Owie, former senate chief whip, and Olumide Akpata, former LP governor ship candidate in the 2024 Edo election.
Odigie-Oyegun said considering the nature of the incident, he doubted if the police would be able to arrest their assailants.
Speaking when he addressed journalists after the ADC’s South South Zonal Leadership Committee meeting in Benin at his residence in the Government Reserved Area, (GRA) the former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said that he was not sure if anyone had been arrested in connection with the attack.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the state police command on Wednesday stated that no arrests had been made, while investigation had commenced.
According to Odigie-Oyegun, “I am not sure if an arrest has been made. I am also not sure if an arrest will be made considering the nature of the event.
“Imagine people bearing arms in broad daylight and were seen and no one has been arrested up till now.
“It was the security agencies that gave us a hint of the attack that saved us. We had to quickly bring the programme to an end. We barely got to my house, and we heard that the secretariat had been attacked by thugs bearing arms.
“If we were still there when they attacked the secretariat, we won’t be saying what we are saying now.”
While noting that the ADC would be ready for January’s election, he urged the government to allow peace to reign and eschew violence in the run up to the election.
He stated that the ADC would do what it takes to make the party the choice of Nigerians, emphasising that the public was on the side of his party and that this would be the first time a party was put together at the behest of the masses.
He added, “With what is happening in our nation, an emergency rescue is needed, and as a party, we will ensure that Nigerians remain the crux of governance.
Odigie-Oyegun also urged leaders and party members in the zone to work in unity, learn from each other’s experience so that the zone can be worthy of emulation.
Meanwhile, a former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amechi, took advantage of the meeting to announce his intention of running for the office of the president in next year’s election.
