The chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the local government areas of Lagos State have vowed to resist further attacks and threats to members from the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a press conference held today, chairman of the ADC local government chairmen in Lagos State, Hon. Ugochukwu Anaere, said with about 17 months to the next general elections, the party won’t take a threat from the APC any lightly, particularly mentioning a threat from Mustapha Adekunle (Sego), the chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), that whoever fails to vote APC in 2027 would be dealt.
This is as the party chairmen called for thorough electoral reforms in order to make the next general elections credible, reports Daily Independent.
He said; “Nigerians continue to suffer untold hardship with the incumbent government’s programmes and projects seemingly very far at addressing them.
“We affirm the readiness of the African Democratic Congress to change the ugly narrative in constitutional, judicial and electoral reforms,” he said.
“Lagos State ADC chairmen are of the strong view that the sanctity of the 2027 elections cannot be guaranteed unless the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the 2022 Electoral Act are urgently amended. As certain aspects of the 1999 are presently constituted, we believe the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is truly not independent and we urgently demand that the powers to appoint the leadership of the electoral umpire should not be Vested with the president, ditto the appointment of the Justices of the Supreme Court,” he said.
On the threat to intimidate and attack members of the party by the Lagos chairman of the NURTW, Mr. Anaere said; “Virtually all our colleagues from the 20 LGAs in the state have reported one form of threat and or attack and we have escalated these to the party hierarchy and the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS). Regrettably, these threats and attacks appear intractable.
“On Friday, October 4, 2025 the whole nation, particularly, Lagos residents, woke up to witness one of the most callous barbaric. uncivilised, provocative, impunity, intimidating and dreadful threatening statements aimed to kill, victimise and punish anyone who is a real and or perceived opposition member in another political party and particular mention was made of the African Democratic Congress and its faithfuls in Lagos State, credited to Mr. Mustapha. Adekunle, aka Sego, the current Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Lagos State Chapter.
“This is what his predecessor MC Oluomo did during 2023 general elections, when he forcefully stopped eligible voters from voting for their preferred candidates, and nothing was done to him, is fresh in our minds, hence a likely repetition of such ugly sad events, which many Nigerians are ready to resist this time around, as the country belongs to all of us and no individual has the monopoly of bad behaviors.
“Recall that some weeks ago, a carefully planned coalition welcoming event at the instance of the African Democratic Congress, was literally turned into a crime scene in Alimosho, where these same elements, working in concert with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), maimed some of our party faithful and destroyed and carted away property running into millions of naira.
“With 17 months or thereabout before the 2027 general elections, we cannot treat the real and or imagined threats from Sego and his numerous co-travellers with levity. To do so Would be most irresponsible.
“By this International press conference, we are simply collectively saying here that we do not want our voices, as the grassroot leaders of our great party, to be silenced and the fortunes of the party eclipsed. We do not want balot boxes snatched, stolen, grabbed-at-gun-point or victims of matchet cuts and bruises litter our polling units anymore as 2027 approaches.
“We do not want our members and leaders to be intimidated, harassed or brutalised anymore by any individual or groups of persons under any guise anymore, and appeal, to you, gentlemen of the press, that you use your esteemed platform to champion this.
“To our mind, the threats coming from the NURTW chairman, at a time like this, when the election is fast approaching, being championed by their cohorts and federal paymasters, is a signpost of violence that is to come. It is a pointer to their preparedness to unleash mayhem during the elections in 2027 and are we going to fold our arms and watch them carry out this threat?
“Considering the fact we are the grassroot leaders of our great party, the threat did not go down well with us as it quickly simply reminded us of the high level of impunity and brigandage, lawlessness and electoral violence that reared its ugly head during the 2023 general elections, wherein matchets, bottles and guns were freely used in different parts of Lagos to scare innocent harmless voters from exercising their civic rights of casting their votes for their preferred candidates.
“During the 2023 elections, in some parts Of Lagos State, voters were openly and forcefully compelled to vote for the APC or turned back home,” he said.
Continuing, the ADC state chairmen said; “We make bold to say that without the full backing of the federal government, these
threats cannot happen easily without the perpetrators being timeously arrested and
prosecuted by the police working in concert with the DSS.
“We are afraid Sego’s threat was clear, open and direct. How do we, as a polity, respond to it? Nigeria is a democracy, with political parties and Nigerians are free to join any party of their choices and aspire to any political office in the land if they so wish without any fear of intimidation or hindrance.
“The ADC is a law-abiding and popular grassroot-based political party with zero tolerance to indiscipline and violence. Being the leaders at this critical stage of our great party, we condemn Sego’s threats in all its ramifications and demand his immediate arrest and open prosecution as proof that the law is not a respecter of persons.”
On the ongoing voters registration, the party lauded INEC, charging them to reach the unreached in order to ensure more Nigerians are registered.
“We commend INEC for its diligence so far and urge and advise it to cause their personnel to take their tools to the remotest parts of the land in order to ensure eligible Nigerians are captured and their data updated to enable them exercise their fundamental right to vote and be voted for.
“From the emerging signs, ADC is the party that will reposition Nigeria for the expected greatness come 2027.”
