The Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, has said former presidential candidate Peter Obi ought to have informed the state government before his recent visit, amid controversy surrounding an attack on the politician and members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Afegbua made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Politics Today aired by Channels Television, where he reacted to reports of gunmen targeting Obi and other ADC figures in the state.
The incident, described by some observers as an assassination attempt on the former Anambra governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has triggered widespread reactions across the country.
Clarifying the state government’s position, Afegbua said Governor Monday Okpebholo had been misunderstood when he previously advised Obi to notify authorities before visiting the state.
“People misinterpreted what the governor meant when he made the statement last July,” Afegbua said. “Because Obi is a politically exposed person, we would expect that he extends the courtesy of informing the government of the day.”
The commissioner also suggested that the incident should be viewed within the context of internal disputes in the ADC, describing it as a conflict involving rival factions within the party.
The comments come as security concerns continue to trail the reported attack, with calls from various quarters for a full investigation into the incident.