The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, over his alleged threat that residents who fail to support or vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) should leave the council area.
The opposition party described the reported statement as a threat of forced displacement and an assault on the constitutional rights of citizens to reside anywhere in Nigeria and freely associate with political parties of their choice.
In a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC urged the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest Shekwolo and charge him to court.
The party argued that Sections 40, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution guarantee freedom of association, the right of citizens to reside in any part of the country and protection against discrimination on the basis of political opinion.
“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,” the party said.
The ADC also faulted the council chairman’s alleged position by noting that he was elected with 17,269 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidates polled 15,824 and 4,305 votes respectively.
The party said the figures demonstrated that Shekwolo had a responsibility to protect all residents, irrespective of their political affiliations.
The ADC linked the Kuje incident to alleged threats made by APC Senator Francis Fadahunsi during the August 15 Osun governorship election, when he reportedly threatened opposition supporters and warned voters against supporting candidates other than those favoured by his party.
It recalled that Fadahunsi was questioned by the police over the remarks but was released without being charged.
According to the ADC, the two incidents were indicative of a growing culture of political intimidation, which it linked to President Bola Tinubu’s July 29 remark that “all is fair in politics.”
The party challenged Tinubu to personally clarify the statement and make it clear that it did not amount to a licence for intimidation, voter suppression, violence or forced displacement.
“If that is not what the President meant, he should say so himself, and he should say so now,” the ADC said, adding that “silence at this point is not neutrality. Silence is ratification.”
The opposition party also appealed to the National Peace Committee to intervene before the 2027 general elections, warning that failure to address alleged threats and intimidation early could have serious consequences.
“We invite the Committee to speak, publicly and without ambiguity, while speaking still costs nothing but courage. If it waits until 2027, it will be issuing condolences, not appeals,” the party said.
Among its demands, the ADC called for the arrest and prosecution of Shekwolo; reopening of the case against Fadahunsi; preservation of audio, video and documentary evidence by security agencies and INEC; and a personal clarification of Tinubu’s “all is fair in politics” comment.
It also urged the APC to disown Shekwolo’s alleged statement and discipline him, while demanding a public retraction and apology from the council chairman.
The party further called on domestic and international election observers to identify the Federal Capital Territory and Osun State as early-warning areas ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Nigerians are not tenants in their own country, holding their residency at the pleasure of a ruling party. We are citizens,” the ADC declared.
(The Whistler)
