The Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, has said the party is working towards delivering 2.5 million votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, while issuing a controversial warning to those he believes may attempt to frustrate the plan.
Tenebe made the remarks while discussing the recently held local government council election in Edo State, where he claimed the APC secured 2,158,600 votes.
According to the APC chairman, the figure represented an unprecedented achievement and demonstrated the party’s ability to mobilise voters across the state.
“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. > “And when the governor made a promise to Mr President that he would deliver 2.5 million votes for Mr President, our haters, the opposition people, the social media politicians entered the social media after saying that, ‘Where are those kinds of votes in Edo State?’ > “But the governor of Edo State, APC itself, proved them wrong, turning out 2,158,600 votes to the party.”
Tenebe said the votes were made possible by party supporters and urged them to work towards achieving the larger target of 2.5 million votes for Tinubu.
“One thing that you have established is that those votes were made possible because of all of you that are sitting down here. What we are trying to achieve is the 2.5 million votes.”
Explaining why he considered the target important, Tenebe claimed that the number of votes recorded in an area could influence the creation of additional local governments and states.
“The reason why it is key is because you hear them creating local governments and you hear them creating states. > “It is the number of votes such states turn out that make it possible. And when you have more local governments, you have more development. And location will go up, development will be everywhere.”
He subsequently called on APC supporters to intensify their efforts to deliver the targeted votes to the President.
“That is the reason why everybody must work very hard to ensure that we turn in those votes.”
Tenebe further argued that the votes should be delivered to the APC because, in his view, Tinubu is the person capable of creating additional local governments for the people.
“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. > “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.”
The APC chairman then directed a controversial warning at people he described as opposing the party and attempting to frustrate its political objectives.
“Those who do not wish us well, who want to create an obstacle for us, I have a prayer for you. > “And that prayer is a lesser prayer. Because if you evoke Holy Ghost power, it is more. To evoke general-purpose machine gun power, it is lighter. > “So anybody 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-47 fire.”
Tenebe’s remarks have drawn attention online, particularly the reference to “AK-47 fire” while discussing opposition to the party’s 2027 electoral target.
The comments represent Tenebe’s political position and rhetoric; they do not establish that any violence will occur, and the context and intent behind the statement remain matters of interpretation.
AB