The troubling resurgence of political violence dominating headlines across naija-politics this week should alarm every Nigerian who believed we had moved beyond the dark days when assassination attempts, armed attacks, and brazen thuggery were standard tools of political warfare. Yet here we are in 2026, witnessing two separate assassination attempts within days of each other, and the question on everyone's lips is terrifying: are we going backward to the old and archaic methods politicians once used to suppress their opponents?

It started on Saturday, February 21, when Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency and daughter of former Delta State Governor James Onanefe Ibori, escaped unharmed after violence broke out during the All Progressives Congress (APC) congress in Ethiope-West Local Government Area. The congress, previously scheduled for Oghara Township Stadium, was relocated to Ovade, leading to tensions among party members. Eyewitnesses reported that suspected gunmen and thugs attacked Ibori-Suenu and her supporters, leaving several people injured.

There were several attempts on her life which were foiled by her security details. There had been intelligence that she would have been shot if she had stepped foot on the venue. Videos from the scene showed graphic violence, with persons being attacked with machetes during the incident.

This was not a political disagreement that got heated. This was premeditated violence designed to eliminate a sitting federal lawmaker. And while the APC Delta State chapter denied reports of an attack, describing the claim as false and media sensationalism, the videos, photos, and eyewitness accounts tell a different story.

But if the Delta incident was shocking, what happened yesterday in Edo State was absolutely terrifying because it targeted the most prominent opposition figure in Nigeria right now.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when gunmen attacked his convoy in Edo State on Tuesday. The incident reportedly occurred shortly after Obi, former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, and other political figures attended the formal declaration of Barrister Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Benin.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said the attackers allegedly trailed the group from the ADC Secretariat to Odigie-Oyegun's residence before opening fire. According to him, the assailants shot at the gate and destroyed several official vehicles in what he described as a failed assassination attempt targeting the political leaders.

The photos and videos from the scene are chilling. Several SUV windscreens were smashed, while the gate leading to Odigie-Oyegun's residence was riddled with bullets . These were not warning shots. These were assassination bullets meant to kill.

Peter Obi himself, visibly shaken, said: "This is where our democracy has reached. A former governor, and you can see what happened in front of his house, where hoodlums came shooting. I assure you this cannot continue; we have a country, and we are a part of it. We cannot have terrorism and have officials in government terrorising the citizens".

Now, the critical questions emerge, questions that go to the heart of what kind of country Nigeria is becoming as we navigate the dangerous waters of naija-politics heading into 2027:

Was this party internal crisis escalating, or the work of the opposition?

The Ibori-Suenu case appears to be internal APC factional violence. The congress was relocated from its original venue, the Oghara Township Stadium, to a new venue, Ovade, in the LGA, seemingly to disenfranchise original APC members. Thugs allegedly hired by old PDP members who moved to APC attacked her supporters.

So in Delta, this seems to be new APC members (former PDP defectors) trying to violently eliminate old APC members. Internal party warfare turning lethal.

But the Peter Obi case is more complicated and more sinister. ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo alleged that the assassination attempt on Peter Obi was by the government or its agents.

An old video resurfaced showing Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo warning Peter Obi in July 2025 not to come to Edo State, saying his security would not be guaranteed . And now, seven months later, Peter Obi is attacked in Edo State. The timing and the governor's previous threat make it difficult to dismiss this as mere coincidence.

The ADC condemned the attack, stating: "Today's attack on Mr. Peter Obi and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress is a grave and disturbing development, especially in light of the threats issued last year by the Governor of Edo State, warning Mr. Obi not to come to Edo State. We didn't know at the time that the Governor's threat would include an assassination plot".

Even Atiku Abubakar condemned the attack, saying "In recent times, we have witnessed reckless and inflammatory rhetoric from elements within the ruling party in Edo State, rhetoric that dangerously legitimises violence against political opponents. Words, when weaponised, often precede actions. What happened in Benin did not occur in a vacuum".

So unlike the Delta case, the Edo attack appears to be state-sponsored violence against opposition figures. And that is infinitely more dangerous.

Are we going backward to old and archaic methods?

The honest answer, examining the evidence in the unforgiving light of naija-politics reality, is yes. We are regressing.

Nigeria went through a dark period in the 1980s and 1990s when political opponents were routinely assassinated. Dele Giwa. Kudirat Abiola. Bola Ige. Alfred Rewane. The list is long and tragic. We thought we had moved beyond that era. We believed that democracy, however flawed, had at least eliminated political assassination as a tool of power.

But 2026 is proving us wrong. Two assassination attempts in one week. Both involving high-profile politicians. Both involving armed gunmen. Both showing a level of brazenness that suggests the perpetrators fear no consequences.

The alleged attack occurred during political activities surrounding the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata as an ADC member, heightening concerns about political tensions in the state.

And here's what makes it even more alarming: these attacks are happening in broad daylight, at official political events, with multiple witnesses, and the attackers don't seem concerned about being identified or apprehended.

That level of impunity only exists when attackers believe they have political protection. When thugs know that the security agencies won't seriously investigate. When gunmen understand that powerful people have sanctioned their actions.

The implications for 2027 are terrifying. If opposition figures can be attacked with impunity now, 15 months before the election, what happens as we get closer to election day? If a presidential candidate can be shot at in February 2026, what prevents more lethal attacks in 2027?

The ADC declared: "Let it be clearly understood: violence and intimidation are the weapons of those who fear the will of the people. Such actions stain our democracy and must be condemned by all who believe in freedom. The ADC will neither bow nor retreat".

But brave declarations aside, the reality is that Nigerian democracy is under siege from political violence that we thought we had left in the past. The emergence of these assassination attempts signals a dangerous escalation as Nigeria heads toward what many fear will be a contentious and potentially violent 2027 election.

What makes this particularly ominous within the framework of naija-politics is the silence from the federal government. No presidential statement condemning the attacks. No order for comprehensive security investigations. No arrests of the perpetrators. Just deafening silence that emboldens more violence.

If Peter Obi, one of Nigeria's most prominent politicians with massive youth following, can be attacked with bullets and the government says nothing, what message does that send? It sends the message that political violence is acceptable. That opposition figures are fair game. That democracy is negotiable.

Are we going backward? The evidence suggests we're not just going backward, we're accelerating into a dark place where political opponents are eliminated through violence rather than defeated through votes.

And unless something changes dramatically, unless the security agencies act decisively, unless political leaders across party lines condemn these attacks unequivocally, 2027 might not just be a contentious election. It might be a bloodbath.

What do you think? Are these isolated incidents, or signs of systematic political violence returning to Nigeria? Should the federal government be held responsible for guaranteeing the security of opposition figures? And most importantly, can Nigeria conduct free and fair elections in 2027 if political violence continues unchecked? Drop your thoughts in the comments section. Democracy itself might depend on how we answer these questions!