Follow Us on Google
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have raised the alarm over an alleged threat to evict residents of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who fail to vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
While the ADC demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of Kuje Area Council Chairman, Samuel Shekwolo, over the alleged threat, CISLAC called on the Federal Government, FCT authorities, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to investigate the matter and protect voters against intimidation.
The two organisations separately warned that threats against voters could undermine citizens’ constitutional right to freely choose their representatives and heighten political tension ahead of the elections.
The ADC also asked President Bola Tinubu to publicly clarify his recent comment that “all is fair in politics,” arguing that the statement should not be interpreted by members of the ruling party as a licence for intimidation or voter suppression.
The controversy followed the circulation of a video in which Shekwolo reportedly told Kuje residents who would not vote for the APC in next year’s election to leave the area council.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the reported statement as alarming and demanded that the APC publicly disown it and discipline the council chairman in accordance with its constitution.
“Let us be clear about what this is: A sitting elected official, in whose custody the safety and welfare of every resident of Kuje has been placed, has publicly tied a citizen’s right to live in his own country to the party that they vote for.
“That is a threat of forced displacement. In a country that has buried too many of its people to political violence, it is an invitation to anarchy.” ADC called on the Inspector-General of Police and Department of State Services (DSS) to take action against the council chairman.
“The ADC therefore calls on the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services to arrest Mr. Shekwolo and charge him accordingly. Not to invite him. Not to ‘engage’ him. Not to invite him for a chat and release him before the ink on the headline is dry. Arrest him, charge him, and let a court of law decide,” it said.
The party cited Sections 40, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which it said guaranteed Nigerians freedom of association and movement and protection against discrimination.
It argued that an elected council chairman had a responsibility to all residents irrespective of their political affiliations or how they voted.
“He should also be reminded of the arithmetic of his own mandate. He was returned with 17,269 votes, against 15,824 for the PDP and 4,305 for APGA. Twenty thousand of the people he now threatens to evict did not vote for him — and he has a responsibility towards them as well,” the party said.
CISLAC, in a separate statement by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, described the reported threat as an assault on citizens’ constitutional rights to freely choose their representatives and live peacefully in their communities irrespective of their political preferences.
“No political party, candidate or individual has the right to demand exclusive political loyalty from citizens under the threat of expulsion, intimidation or violence,” CISLAC said.
It urged relevant authorities to investigate the allegation and take appropriate action against anyone found to have intimidated or coerced voters.
CISLAC said the controversy underscored the need for authorities to ensure that Nigerians could participate in the electoral process without fear of reprisals.
The ADC, meanwhile, linked the Kuje controversy with alleged threats during the August 15 Osun governorship election.
It recalled controversial remarks attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, alleging that he threatened opposition supporters and voters over their political choices.
Other News
According to the ADC, the failure to impose sufficiently strong consequences for previous instances of alleged voter intimidation could embolden other political office holders.
“A sitting Senator of the Federal Republic publicly threatened to kill Nigerians over their political choice. He was questioned by the police. He walked away. No charge. No suspension. No consequence.
“Ten days later, a council chairman in the Federal Capital Territory, under the President’s own nose, tells residents to vote APC or get out. That is not a coincidence, that is a lesson being learned,” it alleged.
The opposition party also returned to Tinubu’s July 29 comment during a meeting with Catholic bishops in Abuja that “all is fair in politics.”
It argued that comments by a President could carry considerable weight among political supporters and public office holders.
“We say plainly what many Nigerians are already saying privately: this culture of impunity did not fall from the sky. It was authorised from the top,” the ADC alleged.
It asked Tinubu to personally clarify that the remark was not intended to endorse political intimidation, threats, voter suppression or violence.
“If that is not what the President meant, he should say so himself, and he should say so now.
“The ADC calls on President Tinubu to publicly clarify that ‘all is fair in politics’ was not a licence for intimidation, voter suppression, threats of violence or forced displacement,” it said.
The party said a clarification by presidential aides would be insufficient, arguing that because the original statement was attributed to the President, any clarification should come directly from him.
It also called on the National Peace Committee to intervene, warning against allowing inflammatory political rhetoric to escalate as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
CISLAC, on its part, broadened its concerns beyond Kuje to what it described as the increasing deployment of religious platforms for partisan mobilisation.
It cited reports of gatherings of religious leaders in parts of the North where political figures and parties had received endorsements, including reported activities in Plateau and Jigawa states.
The organisation warned that blurring the line between religious leadership and partisan politics could undermine national cohesion and voters’ ability to make independent political choices.
“Religious leadership is a position of trust and moral guidance, not a commercial platform for vote canvassing or the promotion of political violence and intimidation,” it said.
CISLAC urged religious leaders to resist attempts by politicians to exploit their influence and instead use their platforms to demand accountability, justice, competent leadership and improved welfare.
It also challenged political parties and candidates to campaign on issues confronting Nigerians, including insecurity, healthcare, education, infrastructure, unemployment, poverty and accountability, rather than exploiting religious or ethnic sentiments.
The organisation urged Nigerians to assess candidates on their competence, policies, records and capacity to deliver good governance.
It warned that the combination of voter intimidation and the weaponisation of religion for electoral advantage could deepen divisions, weaken democratic institutions and threaten peaceful coexistence as political activities intensify ahead of 2027.
