A prominent Nigerian rights organisation has formally called on the Department of State Services to invite and question the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Jarrett Tenebe, over comments allegedly made during party mobilisation events.
In a statement released to journalists in Abuja, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), through its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, described the reported remarks as dangerous political rhetoric that goes beyond normal campaign talk, especially with the 2027 general elections approaching.
HURIWA claimed that while addressing APC supporters in Edo State, Tenebe allegedly warned that anyone who tried to block the party’s effort to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu would face “AK-47 fire.” The group further alleged that the APC chairman also mentioned “Holy Ghost fire” and a “General Purpose Machine Gun” in the same speech.
The association insisted that electoral competition must never be used as an excuse to threaten citizens, opposition supporters or political rivals with firearms. It therefore asked the DSS to invite Tenebe to clarify the context and intent of the statements and to determine whether they constitute a criminal threat under Nigerian law.
HURIWA also urged security agencies to look into whether heated political language is contributing to an atmosphere of intimidation against opposition figures and their supporters in Edo State. The group referred to a reported February 2026 incident in Benin City in which armed men allegedly disrupted a political gathering attended by Peter Obi and other African Democratic Congress leaders, forcing them to seek safety. Investigations into that attack were later opened by security agencies.
According to HURIWA, the earlier incident makes any public mention of firearms during political rallies especially worrying. At the same time, the organisation emphasised that any connection between political statements and actual violence must be proven through proper investigation and evidence.
The rights body challenged both the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force to examine whether inflammatory rhetoric is heightening risks for opposition politicians in the state. It advised security agencies to act early to stop threats from turning into violence rather than responding only after fresh attacks occur.
HURIWA additionally called on the national leadership of the APC to publicly reject any threats involving firearms and to reaffirm that elections must be contested within democratic rules. The association stressed that every Nigerian has the constitutional right to support any party or candidate without facing intimidation or violence.
It urged all political parties and their officials to win support through persuasion, clear policies and lawful mobilisation instead of threats. HURIWA repeated its demand that the DSS invite Tenebe, conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged remarks, and publicly release its findings.
The group concluded by warning that references to guns and firearms must not be allowed to become accepted language in the build-up to the 2027 elections.