Olumide Akpata, a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress, has condemned the recent attack on his supporters in Benin City, describing it as a calculated attempt to frighten voters and weaken democratic participation in Edo State.

The violence erupted during Akpata’s formal defection to the ADC, an event attended by prominent political figures, including former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. The celebration reportedly turned chaotic when armed men allegedly trailed Obi and other party leaders from the ADC secretariat to the residence of former APC national chairman John Odigie-Oyegun.

Witness accounts circulating online claim that the attackers opened fire at the gate of the residence and vandalised several vehicles in the convoy. In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Akpata said the incident was more than random thuggery, insisting it was a “chilling message” to ordinary citizens.

He argued that the attackers wanted to send a signal that political engagement now carries a deadly risk. According to him, the underlying message was clear: “You will participate in this process at the risk of life and limb,” a situation he described as a direct assault on democracy because it discourages people from turning out during elections.

Akpata maintained that the violence was specifically directed at ADC supporters. He recounted reports that individuals wearing ADC-branded caps were singled out, assaulted and stripped of their party insignia. One victim was said to have been injured by a bullet ricochet after a gunman fired at the ground, an act Akpata interpreted as a deliberate show of force meant to terrorise, not merely disperse, the crowd.

Invoking the legal doctrine res ipsa loquitur, Akpata suggested that the circumstances point to state-backed political intolerance. With the ruling All Progressives Congress on one side and the opposition on the other, he argued that the “inescapable conclusion” is that the attack was meant to warn the opposition that it would not be tolerated.

He also criticised Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for reportedly dismissing the incident as an internal ADC dispute. Akpata called that position premature and a failure of leadership, insisting that the governor’s first duty should be to order a thorough, impartial investigation and publicly commit to holding the perpetrators accountable, rather than making assumptions without presenting evidence.