— Condemns attack on members in Kogi, demands prosecution
The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress (ADC PCC) has called on security agencies to investigate Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, over an alleged threat to deploy AK-47 rifles against those who oppose the party’s plan to secure 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The council also condemned the reported attack on ADC members at Gegu in Koton Karfi Local Government Area of Kogi State, where vehicles belonging to supporters of the party were allegedly destroyed.
The ADC PCC said the two incidents, if established, raised serious concerns over the safety of political actors and the conduct of the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Sunday, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the alleged statement attributed to Tenebe as inflammatory and urged the appropriate authorities to establish the facts.
Ologbondiyan said the council expected the APC leadership and President Bola Tinubu to publicly condemn the alleged threat or demand its retraction.
“We are shocked that a state chairman of a ruling party, Mr Jarrett Tenebe, can stand before the public and threaten Nigerians with AK-47 rifles if they refuse to vote for his party, the APC.
“This is terrorism, and not politics. This is the height of desperation by a party that has failed Nigerians woefully,” he said.
The ADC PCC spokesman alleged that some statements and actions by APC members had contributed to an atmosphere of intimidation ahead of the 2027 elections.
He urged law enforcement and electoral authorities to investigate the alleged firearms threat and determine whether the statement violated any law.
The council specifically called on the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to invite Tenebe for questioning over the alleged remarks.
The ADC PCC further urged international bodies, including the United Nations, European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, as well as the United States and other democratic partners, to monitor developments ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to Ologbondiyan, sustained attention from domestic and international stakeholders would help promote a peaceful, transparent and credible electoral process.
He said the 2027 election should give Nigerians the opportunity to assess the performance of the APC-led administration, stressing that threats or intimidation must not interfere with citizens’ constitutional right to vote.
ADC cries out over Kogi attack
The ADC PCC also expressed concern over the reported attack on its members at Gegu in Koton Karfi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The council called on security agencies to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and prosecute anyone found culpable.
“We call on the members of our Kogi State chapter, particularly in Koton Karfi Local Government, to name everyone they identified in the course of the needless attack,” Ologbondiyan said.
He urged affected members to provide relevant information to security agencies to assist investigations.
The council said it expected the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged attack and ensure that anyone found responsible faced the appropriate legal consequences.
The ADC PCC reiterated its call on political parties and their supporters to pursue the 2027 electoral contest through peaceful and lawful means.
