Hoodlums on Wednesday night attacked the Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin City, damaging property and attempting to set the facility ablaze.
The attack occurred at the party’s secretariat along Ogbelaka Street, where several windows and CCTV cameras were destroyed.
The ADC State Chairman in Edo State, Kennedy Odion, confirmed the incident on Thursday, saying the assailants arrived with the intention of burning down the building but were stopped after residents and party sympathisers in the area intervened.
“They destroyed all the windows and other items in the building before ADC sympathisers in the area came to the rescue,” Odion said, adding that the attackers came with a 10-litre container of petrol.
A video circulating on Facebook showed a man, believed to be a party member, displaying the damage to the building and recounting how the incident occurred.
In the clip, the man alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State was responsible for the attack.
“We will not allow any form of intimidation and oppression. These things will amount to nothing,” he said. “We are the only opposition party in this state, and they want to make sure that we do not stand. It won’t work.”
Without naming any party, Odion also alleged that some politicians were bent on forcing the ADC out of the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Elections are a democratic process that require participation by all. There is freedom of association, and nobody can be forced to join a political party of another person’s choice,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.