Key Takeaways
- ADC demands arrest of Kuje chairman over alleged 'vote APC or leave' threat.
- Party asks President Tinubu to clarify his 'all is fair in politics' remark.
- ADC cites constitutional rights to residence and political association.
- Warning links Osun senator case to voter intimidation fears ahead of 2027.
ADC Demands Arrest of Kuje Chairman Over Alleged Voter Threat
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on security agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, chairman of the Kuje Area Council, over his alleged statement that residents who refuse to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) should leave the council.
In a statement on Wednesday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi described the reported remark as a dangerous escalation of political intimidation. "A sitting elected official ... has publicly tied a citizen's right to live in his own country to the party that they vote for," Abdullahi said. "That is a threat of forced displacement."
Tinubu's 'All Is Fair in Politics' Remark Under Scrutiny
The opposition party also pressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally clarify his July 29 remark that "all is fair in politics," arguing that presidential words carry particular weight among ruling party officials. "If that is not what the President meant, he should say so himself," the ADC said. "Silence at this point is not neutrality. Silence is ratification."
Pattern of Impunity Allegations
The ADC drew a direct line to the case of APC Senator Francis Fadahunsi, accused of threatening opposition voters during the Osun governorship election but released without charge. "A sitting Senator publicly threatened to kill Nigerians over their political choice," the party said. "No charge. No suspension. No consequence."
That lack of accountability, the party warned, could embolden political actors as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections.
Call for Institutional Action
The ADC has asked the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to charge Shekwolo, citing Sections 40, 41, and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee political association, freedom of residence, and protection against discrimination.
The party also urged the National Peace Committee to intervene immediately, warning that waiting until 2027 could be catastrophic. "If it waits until 2027, it will be issuing condolences, not appeals," the ADC warned.
Additional demands include reopening the Fadahunsi case, preserving evidence, and having the APC publicly discipline Shekwolo. The ADC also wants Shekwolo to retract his statement and apologise, while urging election observers to designate the FCT and Osun as early-warning locations.
"Nigerians are not tenants in their own country, holding their residency at the pleasure of a ruling party. We are citizens," the ADC declared.
Why This Matters
This controversy underscores the fragility of Nigeria's democratic protections when public officials threaten citizens over political choices. Without swift accountability, the ADC argues, such intimidation may become normalized in the run-up to the 2027 elections.