The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC PCC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to use violence and intimidation to influence the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
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 prevent the party from securing the 2.5 million votes it has promised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the state.
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 on Sunday, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Tenebe’s alleged threat as “inciting” and “terroristic,” warning that it could create an atmosphere of fear ahead 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.
He said the ADC PCC had expected the APC leadership and President Tinubu to condemn the statement or demand its retraction, but claimed that neither had done so.
Ologbondiyan further alleged that following President Tinubu’s reported declaration that “all is fair in politics,” some APC members had become emboldened to engage in intimidation, harassment and violations of the law.
He argued that the APC could not secure 2.5 million votes in Edo through a free, fair and credible election, describing the state’s voters as politically sophisticated and increasingly dissatisfied with what he called the hardship and insecurity under the APC administration.
The ADC PCC called on 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 said the alleged threat constituted a violation of the Electoral Act and the Constitution and should be investigated by the relevant authorities.
The council also appealed to the United Nations, European Union, African Union, ECOWAS, the United States and other democratic countries to closely monitor developments ahead of the 2027 elections and prevail on the Federal Government and APC to guarantee a peaceful and credible electoral process.
According to Ologbondiyan, the 2027 election would be “a referendum” on the performance of the APC-led administration, insisting that threats and intimidation would not prevent Nigerians from exercising their constitutional right to vote.
On the Kogi incident, the ADC PCC urged security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible for the reported attack on its members in Gegu.
“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 security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.
