By Lizzy Chirkpi
The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC PCC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly plotting to intimidate voters and unleash violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The council’s allegation followed a reported threat by the Edo State APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, to deploy AK-47 rifles against anyone who attempts to frustrate the party’s target of securing 2.5 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The ADC PCC also condemned the reported attack on its members and destruction of vehicles belonging to party supporters at Gegu in Koton Karfi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the alleged AK-47 threat as “inciting” and “terroristic”, warning that such statements could undermine the credibility and security of the 2027 elections.
“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,” Ologbondiyan said.
The ADC PCC expressed concern that neither the APC leadership nor President Tinubu had publicly condemned the alleged statement or demanded its retraction.
Ologbondiyan further alleged that political intimidation and harassment had become increasingly pronounced within the APC, particularly following what he described as the President’s reported assertion that “all is fair in politics”.
He said the alleged threat violated the Electoral Act and the Constitution, and called for immediate investigation by security and electoral authorities.
The council therefore urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to invite Tenebe for questioning over the alleged threat.
It also called on the international community, including the United Nations, European Union, African Union, ECOWAS and the United States, to closely monitor political developments in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ologbondiyan maintained that the APC’s target of 2.5 million votes in Edo could only be achieved through a free, fair and credible election, insisting that voters in the state would not be intimidated into voting against their will.
He described the 2027 presidential election as a referendum on the performance of the APC-led Federal Government.
“2027 will be a referendum on the performance of the APC administration. No amount of intimidation, harassment or threats can stop Nigerians from exercising their constitutional right to vote,” he said.
ADC condemns Kogi attack
The ADC PCC also condemned the reported attack on its members at Gegu in Koton Karfi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to the council, party supporters were attacked during the incident, while some of their vehicles were destroyed.
Ologbondiyan urged security agencies to identify those responsible for the alleged attack and prosecute them in accordance with the law.
“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,” he said.
He also urged the police and other security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, warning that political violence must not be allowed to become a feature of the 2027 electoral process.
The council said the two incidents underscored the need for security agencies and electoral authorities to act early to prevent threats, intimidation and violence from escalating as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.