ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Kuje Area Council Chairman, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, after a video surfaced in which the council chief was heard telling residents to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) or leave the area council.
The opposition party described the reported statement as a serious threat to political freedom and the right of citizens to reside in any part of Nigeria, warning that such comments could deepen political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Shekwolo’s remarks emerged in a video circulating online on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. In the footage, the chairman appeared to address supporters while discussing the political situation in Kuje and the performance of the federal and FCT administrations.
“I have said in my area council, it’s either you are for the APC or you leave the area council. I am not arguing about it at all,” Shekwolo was heard saying.
Reports on the video indicate that the chairman linked his position to development projects associated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, arguing that residents should support the APC in return for what he described as government interventions in the area.
He also suggested that he would not accept residents supporting opposition parties despite benefiting from projects undertaken by the administration.
The remarks have generated criticism because of the chairman’s position as an elected public official responsible for residents regardless of their political affiliations.
ADC demands immediate action
Reacting to the controversy, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the matter should not be treated as an ordinary political argument.
The party demanded that the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) arrest Shekwolo and bring him before a court to answer for the statement.
According to the ADC, authorities should not merely invite the chairman for questioning and subsequently release him without taking further action.
The party argued that an elected official entrusted with the welfare and security of residents cannot condition a citizen’s right to remain in an area on political loyalty.
“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,” the party said.
The ADC described the statement as an alleged threat of forced displacement and warned that political intimidation of this nature could create conditions for wider instability.
The party’s position has also been reported by other Nigerian news outlets following the emergence of the video.
Party cites constitutional rights
The ADC based part of its argument on Sections 40, 41 and 42 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Section 40 protects freedom of peaceful assembly and association, including the right to belong to a political party. Section 41 protects freedom of movement and residence within Nigeria, while Section 42 prohibits discrimination against citizens on specified grounds.
The opposition party argued that these protections mean Nigerians cannot lawfully be told that their continued residence in an area depends on the political party they support.
It also pointed to the irony of Shekwolo’s position as an elected chairman, arguing that his mandate imposes responsibilities towards all residents rather than only those who voted for him or support the APC.
The ADC cited figures from the council election, saying Shekwolo secured 17,269 votes, while candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) received 15,824 and 4,305 votes respectively.
The party said those figures demonstrate that a substantial number of voters did not support Shekwolo but nevertheless remain residents whose interests he is expected to protect.
“Everyone living in Kuje is entitled to the protection of government, regardless of the party they support,” the ADC’s argument effectively centres on.
ADC links Kuje controversy to Osun threats
The opposition party also connected the Kuje controversy to a separate political controversy that emerged during the August 15 Osun governorship election.
It referred to remarks attributed to APC Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, in which he was heard making threatening comments concerning members and supporters of the Accord Party.
Fadahunsi was subsequently summoned by the Osun State Police Command to explain comments described by the police as threatening, intimidating and capable of heightening tension during the electoral process.
The senator later issued a clarification through his media office, saying his “kill Accord” expression was intended to mean defeating the party politically through votes rather than physically attacking its members.
The ADC, however, maintained that the episode demonstrated the danger of political rhetoric when public officials use language that opponents or supporters could interpret as a call for violence.
The party argued that the absence of strong consequences after such incidents could encourage other political actors to believe that inflammatory political statements carry little risk.
Tinubu’s ‘all is fair in politics’ comment questioned
The ADC also brought President Bola Tinubu’s July 29 comment into the debate.
During an interaction involving the President and Catholic bishops, Tinubu said, “All is fair in politics,” while discussing the political contest and the challenges facing his administration. In the broader context of his remarks, the President was speaking about political competition and his determination to defend his position ahead of the 2027 contest.
The ADC said the statement should be clarified by Tinubu personally because comments from the President can influence how political office holders interpret the limits of acceptable conduct.
The party specifically asked Tinubu to make clear that the phrase was not intended to provide political actors with permission to intimidate voters, suppress opposition, threaten violence or discriminate against citizens because of their political choices.
“If that is not what the President meant, he should say so himself, and he should say so now,” the ADC said.
The party argued that a clarification from presidential aides would not have the same effect as a direct statement from the President because the original remark came from him.
ADC asks peace committee to intervene before 2027
Beyond the police and DSS, the ADC called on the National Peace Committee to intervene early rather than wait until the 2027 election season becomes more tense.
The party warned that political threats made months before a major election should be treated as early warning signs rather than dismissed as campaign rhetoric.
It urged the committee to publicly address what it described as a growing pattern of inflammatory statements by political actors.
The ADC warned that waiting until the election period could leave peace-building institutions responding to violence after it has already occurred.
“If it waits until 2027, it will be issuing condolences, not appeals,” the party said.
More demands placed before authorities
The opposition party further called for the preservation of available video, audio and documentary evidence relating to the Kuje and Osun controversies.
It wants the APC to publicly distance itself from Shekwolo’s reported remarks and take disciplinary action if the party determines that the statement violated its rules.
The ADC also demanded that Shekwolo withdraw the statement and apologise to residents of Kuje.
In addition, it urged local and international election observers to treat the Federal Capital Territory and Osun State as areas requiring close monitoring ahead of the 2027 elections.
The controversy has also taken another turn, as an aide to Shekwolo has reportedly argued that the chairman’s remarks were taken out of context. The aide said the comments were intended to encourage residents to support the APC because of government development projects and were not meant as a threat to remove people from Kuje.
That explanation is likely to become an important part of the debate as calls for investigation continue.
For the ADC, however, the central issue remains whether an elected official can use his position to pressure residents over their political choices.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the dispute has placed renewed attention on political rhetoric, voter freedom and the responsibility of elected officials to protect citizens irrespective of party affiliation.
ADC demands arrest of Kuje chairman over alleged ‘vote APC or leave’ threat
