The Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, has sparked controversy after appearing to threaten “AK-47 fire” against anyone who attempts to obstruct the party’s plan to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Tenebe made the remark in a trending video while speaking about the APC’s performance in the recent Edo State local government elections and the party’s plan to surpass the 2,158,600 votes it said it secured in the council poll. The figure and the party’s 2.5 million-vote target have also been reported by multiple news outlets.
According to Tenebe, the local government election result demonstrated the strength of the APC’s grassroots mobilisation in the state, particularly after Governor Monday Okpebholo had pledged to deliver 2.5 million votes for Tinubu.
He said the outcome had disproved critics who questioned whether Edo could produce such a large number of votes for the President.
“Most especially, the local government council election that was held recently where APC scored 2,158,600 votes. This is a feat that has never happened in a state before,” Tenebe said.
He added that the result demonstrated the capacity of the party’s members and supporters to mobilise voters across the state.
“But the governor of Edo State proved them wrong. Turning out 2,158,600 votes to the party,” he said.
Tenebe said the APC’s ultimate objective was to increase the figure to 2.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027, arguing that the number of votes generated by states would become important in discussions around the creation of additional local government areas and states.
“What we are trying to achieve is the 2.5 million votes. The reason why it is key is that you hear them creating local government and you hear them creating states. It is the number of votes such states turn out that make it possible,” he said.
According to him, additional local governments would bring increased development and allocations to communities, adding that the APC needed to work hard to achieve the target.
“When you have more local government, you have more development and allocation will go up. Development will be everywhere,” Tenebe said.
He said the party was particularly committed to delivering the votes to Tinubu because, in his view, the President was the person who could create additional local government areas for Edo State.
“That is the reason why everybody must work very hard to assure that we turn in those votes,” he said.
“Why those votes have to be turned in for APC is because the only person that can create local government for us is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Tenebe said the importance attached to the target meant party members would continue working towards achieving it.
“If it is that alone, we will not sleep. We will work hard. We will make sure that those votes are turned in for Mr. President,” he said.
The APC chairman then issued a warning to those he described as people who did not wish the party well or intended to obstruct its efforts to secure the votes.
“Those who do not wish us well, who want to create an obstacle for us, I have a prayer for you,” Tenebe said.
He subsequently used references to religious and military force in describing what he said would happen to anyone who stood in the party’s way.
“And that prayer is a lesser prayer because if you evoke Holy Ghost power, it is more. If you evoke General Purpose Machine Gun power, it is lighter,” he said.
Tenebe concluded the remarks with the statement that has generated attention online.
“So everybody who refuses, who wants to stand in our way, for us not to have those votes, that we intend to give to Mr. President, AK fire for the person,” he said.
