The ritual Peace Accord signed last month by political parties to engage in issues-based campaigns and shun inciting utterances, is without value due to the desperation of the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) chieftains which violates the spirit of the accord
By Udoka Ekeleme
The peace accord signed last month is being desecrated. The Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, where the Chairman Samuel Shekwolo reportedly told residents who do not support the All Progressives Congress to leave the Council ahead of the 2027 elections bears testimony to the desecration of the peace accord.
In a video that circulated on social media last month, Shekwolo declared: “I have said in my area council that it’s either you are for the APC, or you leave the area council.”
Although Shekwolo had since recounted his statement, citizens insisted that no council chairman has the authority to threaten political opponents with expulsion from their homes. They said that Kuje is not Shekwolo’s fiefdom, and its residents are not his subjects.
According to many, Shekwolo is an elected local government chairman, not the landlord of Kuje, and does not own the area council, thus cannot determine who is entitled to live there and certainly cannot dictate how citizens must vote.
The Constitution protects freedom of expression and association, including the right of citizens to belong to and support political parties of their choice. Nothing in Nigeria’s constitutional order says that citizens may live in Kuje only if they support the party controlling the council.
Shekwolo subsequently claimed that his words had been taken out of context. That explanation did little to neutralise the danger of what was said.
Weeks earlier, Nigerians witnessed a frightening episode in Osun State where Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi, a 74 year-old citizen was recorded threatening Accord Party members and their families with death ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Otunba Biodun Ajiboye is a chieftain of APC who recently went on verbal attack spree against Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Otunba Ajiboye in a podcast labelled Obi incompetent to rule Nigeria. He also said Obi misgoverned Anambra State, statements that negate the spirit of the peace accord.
Again, the Borno State Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, threatened to “flog” opposition members who do not support the APC. Even though he has tendered an apology and retracted the comments.
Buba had, in a video, said, “The government is our government. We are now playing politics. Whoever shows us a finger, we will show him a finger. Whoever dares to show us a finger again, we will break his finger.”
“The government is our government. Those who follow us will enjoy the honey; if you refuse, then you will be flogged”.
However, addressing journalists in Maiduguri on Wednesday, September 2, the Commissioner said the remark was never intended to harm or violate the fundamental rights of the people to freedom of choice and association.
He said, “In recent days, a comment I made during the empowerment programme organised by the City Boy Movement in Maiduguri has generated considerable concern within the public space.
“I wish to state, unequivocally, that my remark was never intended to harm or violate the fundamental rights of the people of our dear state to freedom of choice and association, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)”.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Peace Committee led by former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), have stepped up efforts to contain rising political tensions and alleged inciting comments as campaigns for the 2027 general elections intensifies.
The police said they have commenced investigations into the controversial remarks allegedly made by Buba and the Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Shekwolo; and Senator Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District.
At the same time, the Peace Committee has activated a situation room and an Electoral Offences Tracking System to monitor campaigns, alleged breaches of the political accord and other conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.
The developments followed a series of controversial statements and reported incidents that have heightened fears of intimidation and violence as political parties intensify mobilisation for the 2027 polls.
The National Peace Committee said it has commenced monitoring alleged violations of the peace accord. Head of Secretariat, National Peace Committee, Fr. Atta Barkindo, said the committee has established a situation room and an Electoral Offences Tracking System to monitor breaches of the Peace Accord, electoral laws and other regulatory frameworks.
“We have a situation room, and we have what we call the Electoral Offences Tracking System that we use to monitor not just violations of the Accord, but also violations of the electoral law and electoral frameworks.
“We are monitoring that, whether it’s by parties, candidates, party members, party supporters, party stakeholders, party spokespersons, etc. We are documenting both the violent and the non-violent aspects,” he said.
Barkindo added that the committee had documented utterances made by presidential candidates at the recently concluded Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, which would be forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police for appropriate action.
According to him, “We are handing over to the police and INEC. The Peace Committee does not have the constitutional authority to prosecute or to sanction. So, the police and INEC were witnesses. They signed the accord.
“So, we are sharing that information with them, and we are doing two things. We expect that they will take action, number one, and number two, we are pushing with the National Assembly to set up the Electoral Offences Commission”.
The Nigeria Police has also confirmed that aside from investigating the comments of Fadahunsi, Shekwolo and Buba, the 154 persons arrested during the August 15 Osun State governorship election were also under investigation.
Addressing journalists at a joint security spokespersons’ briefing in Abuja last week, the Force spokesman, Ani Iniedu, said inciting comments, particularly those relating to the electoral process, constituted a criminal offence.
