The chief protocol officer to the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Stephen Tumaka, has come under criticism after warning residents against voting for opposition candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Tumaka, in a social media post on Tuesday, declared that Kuje was an All Progressive Congress (APC) territory and suggested that residents unwilling to support the ruling party should leave the area council.
His warning came on the same day the council chairman, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, issued a similar ultimatum to residents, telling them to either support APC or leave Kuje.
In the post, Tumaka specifically urged residents to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Philip Aduda and Hon. Danladi Chiya, popularly known as Bayani, during the forthcoming elections.
“LISTEN WELL. Kuje is APC. If you are not ready to vote ASIWAJU TINUBU, SENATOR ADUDA, and HON. BAYANI on election day comes January, then this Area Council is not for you. Don’t mistake this for a joke. January is around the corner,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International Nigeria has subsequently condemned the remarks, warning that the Federal Government and the FCT Administration should be held responsible for any harassment or threats residents may face before, during or after the 2027 elections.
In a statement obtained by Politics Nigeria on Friday, the organisation said residents had the constitutional freedom to choose which political party or candidate to support.
“The government of Nigeria and FCT administration must be held responsible for any threat or harassment to be faced by residents of Kuje Area Council before, during and after 2027 elections,” Amnesty said.
It described Tumaka’s statement as a threat against residents who may not vote for the APC, noting that it was issued on the same day Shekwolo allegedly made the “vote APC or leave Kuje” declaration.
Amnesty further described Shekwolo as a “danger to society” and called for accountability over his remarks.
“People have freedom to make political choices and voting for a particular political party is not the condition of living in any part of Nigeria,” the organisation said.
The controversy followed a video in which Shekwolo was heard telling residents that they had to either support the APC or leave the area council.
“It’s either you’re doing APC or leave the Area Council. I am not hiding it at all. With confidence, I am saying it,” the chairman said.
Shekwolo linked his position to what he described as the support being provided to Kuje by the President and the minister, arguing that residents should not oppose him at the polls after benefiting from the administration’s interventions.
“You know why: I cannot have the minister and the President doing for us what they’re doing, and on the day of the election, you say you want to march/match me; I will not agree. It’s either you’re with us or you leave,” he added.
However, the chairman moved to clarify his position in a statement issued on Wednesday, saying his controversial remarks had been made in the context of a specific engagement focused on “administrative efficiency, local development and community welfare.”
Shekwolo said the meeting that preceded the remarks was held with APC youths and loyalists, suggesting that his comments should be understood within that setting.
Despite the backlash, he acknowledged that his position as council chairman did not empower him to deprive residents of their fundamental rights.
“And as the Executive Chairman of Kuje Area Council, I have no right to disenfranchise any resident or citizen of their fundamental human rights in the council,” he said.
The chairman also pledged that his administration would continue to govern all residents irrespective of their political affiliations.
“Let me state unequivocally: our administration remains fully committed to inclusive governance, equity, and the total progress of every community in Kuje Area Council,” Shekwolo said.
