Jarret Tenebe, the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has stirred controversy again after invoking ‘AK-47 fire’ against those he said may stand in the way of the party’s plan to deliver 2.5 million votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Tenebe was alleged to have made the remarks during the ongoing campaign tour of the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State by Governor Monday Okpebholo and the leadership of the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
A video circulating on social media platforms showed the APC chairman addressing party supporters, where he warned those who may stand in the way of the party’s plan to deliver the targeted votes to President Tinubu.
Tenebe said the number of votes delivered by a state could influence its development prospects, including the creation of additional local government areas and states.
He said the 2.5 million votes would strengthen Edo State’s prospects of attracting federal attention and development opportunities, adding that President Tinubu had the power to create additional local government areas for the state.
According to him, the APC had already demonstrated its capacity to mobilise voters after securing 2,158,600 votes in the recent local government elections in the state.
‘What we are trying to achieve is the 2.5 million votes. 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 would make it possible. And when you have more local governments, you have more development and allocation will go up,’ he said.
Tenebe urged APC members to intensify their mobilisation efforts to achieve the target.
‘The only person that can create a 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,’ he said.
He subsequently directed a warning at those he described as people seeking to create obstacles to the party’s plan to garner 2.5 million for the presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
‘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 invoke Holy Ghost power, it is more. If you invoke General Purpose Machine Gun power, it is lighter.
‘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-47 fire for the person,’ he stated.
The APC has been mobilising across Edo State ahead of the 2027 elections, with Governor Okpebholo and the party leadership repeatedly setting a target of 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu.