Jarrett Tenebe has said something that cannot be walked back. The Edo State APC chairman was speaking during Governor Monday Okpebholo’s campaign tour. Okpebholo is touring all 18 local government areas. The goal is to build support for President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Tenebe addressed the crowd. “Anybody who wants to stand in our way from getting 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu, AK-47 fire!” he said.
Political violence is not new in Edo. In 2020, the governorship election was marked by clashes. In 2023, thugs disrupted campaigns in Benin City. In 2024, the state recorded multiple cases of political intimidation. The pattern reflects weak enforcement. Politicians make threats. Security agencies look away. The threats become actions. The cycle continues. The 2027 election cycle is intensifying. Edo is a battleground. The APC wants to deliver the state for Tinubu. The opposition wants to stop it.
The statement was captured on video. It circulated widely. Critics called it voter intimidation. They demanded security action. The police have not responded. The APC has not disowned the remark. The governor has not commented.
The context matters. Tenebe spoke as Okpebholo campaigned across the state. The tour is meant to mobilise support. The AK-47 reference is not a policy proposal. It is a threat. It signals that the APC will use force to achieve its vote target. Whether Tenebe meant it literally or metaphorically, the effect is the same. Voters hear a threat. Opposition supporters hear a warning. The message is clear. Do not stand in the way.
The opposition has faced arrests. Dr Ben Smith, coordinator of the Obidient Movement, was recently arrested. Supporters say the arrest is political. The police have not explained the charges. The timing links the arrest to the campaign. Critics see a pattern. Threats from one side. Arrests of the other.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo responded. He said opposition propaganda exaggerates minor incidents. He noted that Nigeria has 93 million voters. He argued that isolated clashes do not define the campaign. His defence is dismissive. A death threat from a party chairman is not minor. It is not propaganda. It is on video.
Both sides accuse each other of thuggery. The APC says the opposition is violent. The opposition says the APC is violent. The police have made arrests on both sides. The pattern is familiar. Violence is used. Blame is traded. Nobody is held accountable.
Winners: The APC, if the threat intimidates voters into submission. Tenebe, who asserts dominance over the local party. Thugs, who gain cover for violence. Losers: Opposition supporters, who face intimidation. Dr Ben Smith, who faces detention. Voters, who face a climate of fear. The police, whose silence is damning. The political process, which becomes more dangerous. Nigeria’s democracy, which suffers.
Bottom Line: A party chairman threatened AK-47 fire over votes. The video is evidence. The police have not acted. The 2027 campaign has begun with threats and arrests. Edo voters deserve better. So does Nigeria.