Amnesty International has strongly condemned the alleged threat by the Chairman of Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, to eject residents who refuse to support or vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The human rights organisation described the reported declaration that residents who would not vote for the APC should leave Kuje Area Council as a direct threat to their safety and an attack on their fundamental rights to freedom of association, political choice and personal liberty.
Amnesty International stressed that no public official has the authority to make an individual’s right to live in any part of Nigeria conditional on support for a particular political party.
It urged the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to act swiftly to prevent any attempt to intimidate, harass or use violence against residents on account of their political preferences.
The organisation further described Shekwolo’s alleged comments as a serious threat to civic and political freedoms, warning that public officials must be held accountable for statements capable of inciting violence or persecution against citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
Amnesty International said the government has an obligation to ensure that human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled before, during and after elections, in accordance with international human rights law and standards as well as the Nigerian Constitution.
It called on the authorities to ensure that all residents of Kuje Area Council are protected from political intimidation and are allowed to freely exercise their democratic rights without fear of eviction, violence or reprisals.
