PRESS STATEMENT: WYSN strongly condemns the recent assault and attempted assassination on Mr. Peter Obi
WORKERS AND YOUTH SOLIDARITY NETWORK (WYSN)
PRESS STATEMENT
WED, FEB 25, 2026.
The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) strongly condemn the recent assault and attempted assassination on Mr. Peter Obi, former Governor John Odigie-Oyegun, Mr. Olumide Akpata, and other stalwarts of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, Edo State.
This brazen attack, involving gunmen who trailed the victims’ convoy, fired shots, damaged vehicles, and riddled gates with bullets, is an unacceptable assault on democratic principles and a direct threat to societal peace and stability. It is particularly disheartening that this incident occurred shortly after the formal defection and declaration of Mr. Olumide Akpata into the ADC, and in a context where political tensions are already high.
We note with grave concern the prior public statement by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, warning that Mr. Peter Obi should not visit the state without clearance and implying that any consequences would be his to bear. Such rhetoric, issued in the lead-up to an approaching election year, sets a dangerous and unacceptable precedent that risks normalizing threats against political opponents and eroding the rule of law.
In an already fractured, divided, and vulnerable Nigerian society, further exacerbated by the policies and governance challenges under the current APC-led administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this kind of violence is intolerable and must not be allowed to persist.
The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms, without any reservations. We call on all relevant security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and other federal authorities, to immediately and thoroughly investigate the incident, apprehend the perpetrators, and bring them to swift justice. This must serve as a clear deterrent to anyone contemplating similar acts of political violence.
We also call on all political parties and their supporters to reject violence and commit publicly to peaceful political engagement. Democracy is not warfare. Elections are contests of ideas, not battlegrounds of intimidation.
The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network stands firmly with all democratic forces in defending the rights to free movement, free speech, and political participation. Nigeria belongs to its workers, youth, and ordinary citizens not to political gangs or violent actors.
A peaceful, level-playing field is essential for Nigeria’s nascent democracy. All citizens, regardless of political affiliation, must be able to exercise their constitutional rights to free movement, association, and participation in political activities without fear of arms, threats to life, or destruction of property.
As 2027 approaches, WYSN will continue to mobilize for peaceful civic participation, electoral transparency, and the protection of opposition voices. We will resist any attempt to shrink the democratic space or silence dissent through force.
Signed,
Comrade Iortyom Ushahemba Moses
National Secretary
Workers and Youth Solidarity Movement (WYSN)