The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has called for the probe of Jarrett Tenebe, Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, over threat to deploy AK-47 rifles against anyone who attempts to deny the party the 2.5 million votes it has promised President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The PCC in a statement by Director, Media and Publicity of the ADC PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, also condemned the reported attack on ADC members and destruction of vehicles belonging to party supporters at Gegu in Koton Karfi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The council described the alleged threat and the Kogi incident as acts of intimidation and political violence capable of undermining the 2027 general elections.
The PCC said Tenebe’s alleged plot was inciting and terroristic, arguing that it amounted to an attempt to intimidate voters and create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the 2027 elections.
It stated that the council had waited for the APC leadership and President Tinubu to condemn or demand a retraction of the statement but received no such response.
“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,” the campaign council said.
It noted that since President Tinubu’s reported statement that “all is fair in politics,” some APC members had increasingly resorted to intimidation, harassment and violations of the law, arguing that the APC could not legitimately secure 2.5 million votes in Edo State through a free, fair and credible electoral process.
The campaign council described Edo voters as politically sophisticated, and said they are dissatisfied with the hardship and insecurity under the APC administration.
The threat to use AK-47 rifles against voters, ADC stated, was a violation of the Electoral Act and the Constitution and should be investigated by the relevant authorities, adding that the alleged statement had further reinforced concerns that the APC might resort to violence and intimidation in its bid to retain power in 2027.
It therefore 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.
The council also appealed to the international community, including the United Nations, European Union, African Union, ECOWAS, the United States and other democratic countries, to monitor developments ahead of the 2027 elections and prevail on the Federal Government and the APC to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process.
