Harrison EDEH
Amnesty International has condemned the Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory,Samuel Danjuman Shekwolo who threatened residents with different political choice apart from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC)
The organisation condemnation followed a widely circulated video of the council chairman who threatened residents who don’t support APC.
In a widely circulated video, Samuel Shekwolo, has warned residents opposed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to leave the area council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Shekwolo made the statement in a video circulating on social media, declaring that he would not accept opposition to the APC or President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election within Kuje.
The council chairman said residents should back the ruling party because of what he described as development projects carried out in the area by the Tinubu administration and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
He maintained that his stance was firm, adding that he would use his position to resist any attempt by residents to campaign or vote against the APC during the 2027 elections.
“I have said in my area council that it’s either you are for the APC or you leave the area council. I am not arguing about it at all,” Shekwolo said.
He questioned why residents would reject the APC at the polls despite the interventions he attributed to Tinubu and Wike in Kuje.
“You know why? I cannot have the Minister and the President doing what they are doing, then on the day of the election, you will now say you want to match me. I will not agree,” he said.
Shekwolo further reinforced his position, saying: “It’s either you are with us or you are against us.”
Reacting to the remarks, Amnesty International said the chairman’s comments amounted to a threat to their fundamental rights.
The organisation said the remarks were a direct attack on residents’ freedom of association, liberty and right to make political choices.
“Authoritatively saying that those who will not vote APC must leave Kuje Area Council is a call to violence and direct attack on freedom of association and liberty of persons,” Amnesty said.
It stressed that no public official had the right to make residence in any part of Nigeria conditional on membership of, or support for, a political party.
“No one has the right to make living in a place in Nigeria tied to joining or voting for one political party,” the organisation said.
Amnesty urged the police and other security agencies to intervene immediately to prevent the use of violence against residents over their political choices.
It also called for Shekwolo to be held accountable over what it described as threats against residents who may not support the APC.
“The Chairman Kuje Area Council FCT Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo is a danger to society and must be held to account for threatening violence on those who may not vote for APC,” Amnesty said.
The organisation warned that any attempt to unleash violence against residents because of their political affiliation could have consequences beyond Kuje Area Council.
“This plan to unleash violence on those who are not supporting APC in Kuje Area Council will have wider impact and will put lives at risk,” it stated.
It would be recalled that Shekwolo’s remarks come less than two weeks after another APC chieftain, Francis Fadahunsi, a senator representing Osun East, came under criticisms over comments concerning members of the Accord Party ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
Growing threats to life by political watchers has become a major concern in the build up to 2027 elections with tensions already high et various quarters.
“This is not good for the development of our democracy.We need to have opposing views to make headway in our democratic journey,”a public affairs analyst, Kingsley Obiakor said.
