By Achile Danjuma
Amnesty International has strongly condemned the Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, over a viral video in which he warned residents who refuse to join or vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to leave the area council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the global human rights watchdog described the chairman’s remarks as a call to violence and direct attack on freedom of association and liberty of persons. Amnesty further labelled Shekwolo a danger to society and urged security agencies to hold him accountable.
In the undated video circulating on social media, Shekwolo is heard declaring: “I have said in my area council that it’s either you are for the APC, or you leave the area council. I am not arguing about it at all”.
He justified his stance by citing developmental projects he attributed to President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, asking why residents would vote against the APC despite what he described as the administration’s interventions in Kuje.
“I cannot have the Minister and the President doing what they are doing, then on the day of the election, you will now say you want to match me. I will not agree,” he said.
Amnesty International stated unequivocally that authoritatively saying that those who will not vote APC must leave Kuje Area Council is a direct threat to lives and an attack on freedom of association and liberty of persons. The organisation emphasised that no one has the right to make residency in any part of Nigeria conditional on voting for a particular political party.
The rights group called on the police and other security agencies to immediately halt this plan to use violence on people for their political choices. It further warned that this plan to unleash violence on those who are not supporting the APC in Kuje Area Council will have a wider impact and will put lives at risk.
Amnesty also stressed that the government has an obligation to ensure that, before and after all elections, human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled, as guaranteed under international human rights law and the Nigerian Constitution.
The organisation specifically called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the remarks and ensure the safety of all residents regardless of political persuasion. It described Shekwolo as a danger to society who must be held to account for threatening violence on those who may not vote for APC.
Observers have noted that Sections 40 and 41 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution guarantee every citizen the right to freely associate with any political party and reside in any part of the country without discrimination or political coercion. The chairman’s comments come as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
As of press time, Shekwolo had not issued a public response to the condemnation. Security agencies have yet to comment on whether they will act on Amnesty’s call for intervention.