• ADC PCC condemns threat, urges Tenebe’s probe
• Party asks Zulum to clarify arrests threat over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ slogan

The Edo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has replied to the All Progressives Congress (APC) over a threat in the forthcoming 2027 elections.

Following a video circulating online, the state Chairman of the party, Jarrett Tenebe, threatened to use an AK-47 on whoever fails to vote for the party, especially President Bola Tinubu.

The ADC insisted that Permanent Voter Cards would determine winners of the elections and not AK-47 rifles.

Speaking during a meeting at the weekend in Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Council Area of the state, where candidates for the state and National Assembly elections in Edo Central Senatorial District were formally unveiled, National Leader of the ADC and former governor of the state, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, declared that the ADC will not succumb to what he described as threats, intimidation and political blackmail.

ADC leaders in the state also welcomed defectors from the APC, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the enlarged meeting.

Osunbor, represented by a former governorship aspirant in the state, Kenneth Imansuagbon, while insisting that the ADC is mobilising Nigerians to vote out the maladministration of the APC-led governments in the 2027 general elections, declared that the people’s votes would defeat any attempt at electoral manipulation.

The National Leader of the party expressed confidence that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would emerge as Nigeria’s next president, adding: “ADC will win the 2027 election and Atiku Abubakar will be the next president because the APC has failed Nigerians. Nigerians are tired of the suffering in the land, tired of poor road infrastructure and tired of insecurity.

MEANWHILE, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council (ADC PCC) has condemned the threat by the Edo APC Chairman.

The ADC PCC also condemned the reported attack on members of the party and the destruction of vehicles belonging to party supporters at Gegu in Koton Karfi Local Council Area of Kogi State.

The council described the alleged threat and the Kogi incident as acts of intimidation and political violence that can undermine the 2027 general elections.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this in a statement issued yesterday.

Ologbondiyan 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.

He said the council had waited for the APC leadership and Tinubu to condemn or demand a retraction of the statement but received no such response.

The ADC PCC 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.

ALSO, the ADC PCC has asked Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, to explain a circulating video in which he allegedly threatened to arrest and detain people using the slogan, “Tinubu Must Go.”

Director of Strategic Communications of the campaign council, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement yesterday, said that the remarks attributed to the governor appeared to contradict his recent denial that he ordered the arrest of people wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan.

The video posted on X purports to show Zulum speaking in Hausa. He had denied ordering the arrests, saying he was unaware of the detention of the men and had never directed the arrest of opposition supporters or critics of his administration.

The ADC asked him to explain the apparent contradiction.