ActionAid Nigeria has condemned an alleged statement by the Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, that residents must support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or leave the area, warning that such rhetoric could undermine democratic freedoms and normalise political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The organisation said an elected public official has a responsibility to serve all residents, irrespective of their political affiliation, and must not use public office to pressure citizens into supporting a particular political party.
Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr Andrew Mamedu, described the alleged statement as deeply troubling and said it raised serious concerns about the protection of citizens’ political rights.
“If an elected council chairman openly tells citizens that they must support a political party to continue living in an area under his administration, we must ask what message this sends to citizens who support other political parties or choose not to support any political party at all,” Mamedu said.
He stressed that public office must never become an instrument of political intimidation, exclusion or coercion.
ActionAid said its concerns extended beyond the reported Kuje incident, noting that the alleged remarks came amid increasingly heated political rhetoric as the country moves towards the 2027 elections.
Mamedu also referenced a recent controversy involving Senator Francis Fadahunsi of Osun East Senatorial District, who was reportedly invited by the police for questioning following allegations that comments attributed to him were threatening and inciting.
The senator was reported to have disputed the interpretation of his remarks, insisting that they had been distorted and that his position was to defeat political opponents through the ballot.
Mamedu said the incidents should serve as a warning to political leaders and security agencies.
“When, within a matter of weeks, we move from alleged threats against opposition supporters during an election in Osun to an elected chairman telling residents to support his political party or leave his council, we should be worried,” he said.
“These are no longer statements we can afford to treat as isolated political excesses. A dangerous culture of political intimidation is at risk of becoming normalised in Nigeria.”
ActionAid maintained that the political choices of Nigerians are constitutionally protected and should not be subjected to intimidation or pressure from elected officials.
The organisation cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, as well as Section 93 of the Electoral Act 2022, which prohibits threats intended to compel citizens to support or refrain from supporting a political party or candidate.
It called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other relevant institutions to investigate the reported remarks and determine whether any law had been violated.
ActionAid also urged the APC to make its position clear to elected officials and supporters, stressing that threats, intimidation and exclusionary political rhetoric should have no place in the country’s democratic process.
As political activities gather momentum ahead of 2027, the organisation urged politicians to compete on the strength of their policies, records, ideas and solutions to Nigeria’s economic and social challenges rather than through fear or intimidation.
Mamedu further challenged law-enforcement agencies to demonstrate that political accountability would be applied fairly and consistently to political actors in both government and opposition.
ActionAid warned that failure to ensure consistent accountability could deepen public distrust and create an environment in which politically motivated intimidation becomes increasingly accepted.
“Political choice is a right, not a debt owed to those in power,” the organisation said.
“No Nigerian should ever have to choose between their political freedom and their right to live peacefully and access public services in their own country.”
The allegations against the Kuje Area Council chairman could not be independently established from ActionAid’s statement, while Shekwolo’s response to the allegations was not included in the release.
