Call Your Edo Chairman To Order, ADC Tells APC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to call its state chairman, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, to order over comments it described as a threat of election violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tenebe had declared during an interview on Television Continental (TVC), monitored by LEADERSHIP in Benin City, that he was prepared to make extraordinary sacrifices to ensure the Edo APC delivers its promised 2.5 million votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In his words: “No matter what it takes, even if my hand will be an impediment in getting the 2.5 million votes we promised the President, I will cut off the hands. Even if it is my head, I will cut it off.”

“In Edo State, we only promise to give 2.5 million votes to Mr President and anybody that would try to come our way would make that person the way. Anything humanly possible, we are ready to do it to get these votes for Mr President,” he said.

Tenebe said the party’s immediate objective was to consolidate its structures across the 18 local government areas, stressing that the issue was no longer whether President Tinubu would win, but the margin.

“It is no longer whether the President would win. The President will win. But the number that he is going to use to win is what matters,” he said.

He added that APC state chairmen were already discussing which state would deliver the highest number of votes.

On possible political coalitions in the state, Tenebe said there was no general meeting where the party condemned or accepted coalition, noting that states willing to deliver for the President would be ready to do anything to get the required votes.

Reacting to the comments, the Edo State ADC spokesperson, Chris Ojeikere, accused Tenebe of promoting violence, alleging that similar remarks had preceded an attack on the ADC secretariat in the state.

“Jarret is speaking and talking as is very typical of him. He is a known purveyor of violence, election and political brigandage. He made a similar statement shortly before they burnt down our secretariat in Edo.

“He said he didn’t recognise any ADC and that anybody who called himself ADC would be smoked out. And within two weeks, our secretariat was in smoke,” Ojeikere alleged.

He urged Nigerians and security agencies to pay close attention to the language used by the APC chairman.

“I want Nigerians to take particular note of the language used by Tenebe. If they consider that this is a man who went AWOL from the army, they should not take these words as exaggeration.

“They are expressions of a man whom the Nigerian government trained to serve this country and taught how to use the gun,” he said.

Ojeikere called on the APC and the Federal Government to take note of the statement, warning that the party would forward the video to security agencies.

“We are calling on APC as a government and as a party, calling on Nigerians to take note of Jarret’s statement, and Nigerians must hold him responsible for any election violence in Benin City and other parts of Edo State.

“We are going to incident that video with security agencies that he is threatening fire and brimstone,” he said.

He further referenced reports of violence in Osun State, saying such threats should not be dismissed.

“Recall that in Osun State, when we heard of a similar threat, we were told that about 40 persons had been killed in Osun State. So, this is not to be taken lightly,” he added.

Ojeikere, however, said the ADC remained confident that voters would determine the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.

“We want Jarret to know that there are weapons that are stronger than war, and that is the people’s will. Nigerians’ desire to sustain this democracy is stronger than any weapon they want to use. Nigerians will come out and vote Atiku Abubakar come 2027,” he said.