Benin City was engulfed by political tension on Wednesday night after hoodlums launched a violent attack on the Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), vandalising party property and attempting to set the building ablaze.
The attackers struck the party office along Ogbelaka Street, smashing windows, destroying CCTV cameras and damaging other items inside the premises.
Their alleged attempt to torch the building was foiled after residents and ADC supporters in the area rose up to resist them.
A viral video circulating on Facebook captured the aftermath of the attack, with a man believed to be an ADC member pointing out the shattered windows and destroyed surveillance equipment while narrating how the incident unfolded.
In the clip, the man accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State of masterminding the attack, claiming the party was uncomfortable with the ADC’s growing influence as a key opposition force in the state.
He, however, provided no evidence to back the allegation.
“We will not allow any form of intimidation and oppression. And these things will amount to nothing.
“We are the only opposition party in this state, and they want to make sure that we do not stand. It won’t work, and we will continue to resist them at all levels. It is a show of shame,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Edo State Chairperson of the ADC, Kennedy Odion, said the attackers came with the intention of burning down the secretariat.
“They destroyed all the windows and other items in the building before the ADC sympathisers in the area came to the rescue,” he said.
Odion further alleged that the hoodlums arrived with a 10-litre container of petrol to carry out the arson.
“Some politicians want the ADC to leave the state so that no other political party will contest the 2027 election with them.
“Elections are a democratic process that requires participation by all. There is freedom of association, which is still in force, and nobody can be forced to join a political party of another person’s choice,” he added.
The ADC chairman said the matter had been reported to security agencies and called for the immediate arrest of those behind the attack.
The Edo State Police Command also confirmed the incident. Police spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said the attack was reported around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, prompting the deployment of officers to secure the area and prevent further violence.
She disclosed that a preliminary assessment showed malicious damage to party flags and two broken windows, adding that investigations are ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
