Security Agencies Mum as APC Chairmen Make Open Threats

​ABAKALIKI — Political tension is mounting in Ebonyi State ahead of the 2027 general elections following aggressive rhetoric from grassroots officeholders. The newly sworn-in Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Eze Paul Ituma, has sparked widespread condemnation after warning opposition parties and independent voters to steer clear of the council area.

​Ituma, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), issued the explicit warning shortly after being inaugurated alongside 12 other council chairmen by Governor Francis Nwifuru in Abakaliki. According to the new council boss, anyone attempting to operate or campaign against the interests of the ruling establishment within Ohaukwu will be treated as an enemy and declared persona non grata.

​”This is the time for politics. I don’t have a shop at the International Market or Okwo Ngbo Market; politics is my business,” Ituma declared in a viral video clip capturing the remarks. “Anyone who wants to put sand in my garri should not come close to Ohaukwu. Anybody who is fighting the governor of Ebonyi State is my enemy from today and will be treated like an enemy. If you’re not of APC stock, do not come close to us.”

​The development follows closely on the heels of directives issued by Governor Nwifuru during the swearing-in ceremony, where he tasked newly minted local government chairmen with delivering absolute victory for the APC in their respective domains come 2027, warning that underperforming officials would face severe political consequences.

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​However, Ituma’s public pronouncements have amplified growing anxieties regarding democratic tolerance and the safety of political opposition in the state. Civil society actors and political observers note that Paul Ituma is now the third high-profile APC politician in recent cycles to publicly issue veiled threats or ultimatums to voters and rival parties ahead of the upcoming polls.

​Despite the growing backlash and viral circulation of the inflammatory remarks, security operatives—including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS)—have yet to make any arrests or issue formal invitations to questioning over the security implications of such hate-leaning political rhetoric.

​Critics argue that the failure of law enforcement agencies to check these infractions creates a dangerous vacuum, potentially emboldening political thugs and shrinking civic space. As the 2027 horizon draws closer, stakeholders are calling on national security heads to rein in incendiary rhetoric from political actors and guarantee the constitutional right of all Nigerians to campaign and vote freely without fear of intimidation.