Senior officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are increasingly threatening to punish anyone who does not vote for the party in the 2027 national elections. The rhetoric may reflect growing concern within the party about the competitiveness of the election and risks contributing to intimidation and pre-election violence. Threats from party officials have ranged from violence against people who refuse to canvass or vote for the party to removal from office or denial of government support.

In Ebonyi State, Governor Francis Nwifuru warned newly sworn-in local government chairmen on 2 September that they would be removed from office if they allowed the opposition to win in their respective areas. Nwifuru said his position was not negotiable and that the chairmen must deliver their councils for the APC in 2027 if they wanted to retain their positions.

Constitutionally, a governor does not have unrestricted power to remove an elected local government chairman whose tenure is protected by law. In practice, however, governors have frequently removed local government chairmen at will. While such cases are typically challenged in court, proceedings rarely conclude before the official’s tenure is complete, effectively depriving them of the office.

Governors can additionally exercise influence through local councillors, who may be able to initiate proceedings against a chairman. The political dependence of many local government officials on state governors, who often intervene in local elections to ensure the appointment of allies, further strengthens this influence.

Local government elections are conducted by State Independent Electoral Commissions. Despite their formal independence, the commissions have frequently been criticised for favouring governing parties at state level. Local elections have consequently tended to produce overwhelming victories for the party controlling the state government, regardless of which national party is in power.

The substantial influence governors exercise over local government chairmen therefore gives Nwifuru’s warning practical significance. It could place pressure on council chairmen to mobilise support for the APC because they may fear political consequences if the party performs poorly in their areas.

At least one local government chairman has subsequently made a similar threat, according to media reports. Paul Ituma, one of the newly sworn-in chairmen, reportedly told constituents on 4 September that anyone opposed to the APC was now his ‘enemy’. He warned opposition supporters to stay away from the local council if they were unwilling to ‘submit’ to the APC and said they could otherwise be declared persona non grata in the council area.

Political threats are becoming more common

The statements by the two APC politicians in Ebonyi State follow a series of threats by senior members of the party against people who refuse to support the APC in the 2027 elections. Sainna Buba, Borno State commissioner for youth and sports, threatened physical violence on 31 August against people who refused to vote for the APC.

Speaking during a campaign to canvass support for President Bola Tinubu, Buba threatened to ‘break’ the fingers of people who refused to vote for the party. He also said that only APC supporters would benefit from government support and threatened that opponents would be denied government assistance and flogged. His remarks sparked national outrage, prompting him to apologise and retract the threats. He had initially argued that the remarks were directed at APC members engaging in anti-party activities rather than opposition supporters.

In a separate incident, Samuel Shekwolo, chairman of Kuje Area Council in Abuja, threatened on 21 August to expel residents who failed to vote for the APC in the 2027 elections. Speaking at an event, Shekwolo argued that residents could not benefit from an APC government federally and in the Federal Capital Territory while voting against the party. He told residents either to support the APC or leave the council area and said opposition to the party on election day would not be tolerated.

Threatening rhetoric was also used ahead of the 15 August Osun State governorship election, which the APC lost. Francis Fadahunsi, an APC senator representing Osun State, reportedly urged supporters on 11 August to kill members of the Accord Party, which he accused of killing APC supporters. He had previously referred to Accord Party supporters as ‘animals’. At least 37 people were reportedly killed in politically related violence ahead of the election amid clashes and inflammatory rhetoric involving supporters of both the APC and Accord Party. Fadahunsi subsequently said that his remarks had been misrepresented and that he had intended to call for the Accord Party to be defeated at the ballot box.

Despite these incidents, there have been few visible prosecutions under electoral-law provisions against statements capable of inciting violence or intimidating voters. This has contributed to perceptions among opposition supporters that the police are reluctant to act against politicians associated with the ruling party.

The August 2026 issue of Nigeria Focus also includes the following:

Implications

Insight

• AI tested in Osun polls could change future elections

Politics

• Tinubu leaning on religion to support second term bid
• US court case renews attention on Tinubu’s 1993 forfeiture

Economy

• Expansive spending absorbs subsidy savings
• Cement companies face competition investigation

Oil & Gas

• Tinubu expands Shell incentive to the wider oil industry
• Dangote rejects domestic crude over pricing
• Tinubu’s pledge to revive state-owned refineries faces major obstacles
• Dangote Refinery IPO expected to open in October
• July oil output falls as expected

Security

• Continued US counter-terrorism training is positive for Nigerian forces

Numbers