The Action Democratic Party (ADP) – Lagos chapter – condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent video and public statements circulating online in which the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle (Tafa Sego), is reported to have threatened that Lagos “can only accommodate the interest of one party” in 2027 and allegedly warned that anyone who votes for any party other than the APC could be killed. These statements – if verified – amount to a call for political violence and must be treated as a grave attack on democratic rights, rule of law, and the safety of Lagosians.
ADP Lagos notes with alarm that the NURTW is a powerful structure in Lagos with reach into the city’s transport system and informal labour networks. Public figures who command influence over groups of people have a duty to protect life, not threaten it. Any suggestion that voters are to be intimidated, harmed, or otherwise prevented from exercising their constitutional franchise is an assault on democracy and a provocation that risks spiralling into communal violence. We will not stand by while any person – whether a union leader or otherwise – attempts to weaponize influence to negate the choice of Lagosians.
WHAT HAPPENED:
Over the last 48 hours a clip and multiple social-media posts have circulated alleging that the Lagos NURTW chairman addressed members and the public, asserting that Lagos will only “accommodate the interests of one party” in 2027 and issuing threats against voters who may support other candidates. The clip has generated widespread outrage across platforms and calls for security agencies to act. ADP Lagos is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness and urges law enforcement and election regulators to do the same.
OUR POSITION:
- Total rejection of threats and intimidation. ADP Lagos condemns the language and intent of any statement that advocates or threatens violence against voters or political rivals. Democracy thrives on free choice, not on coercion, threats, or gangsterism.
- No tolerance for politicized violence. The politics of Lagos – and of Nigeria – must never be reduced to threats, extortion, or the mobilization of thugs to influence outcomes. Any leader who uses their platform to summon violence must be investigated and held accountable.
- Protect voters and the integrity of the 2027 process. ADP Lagos calls on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to move immediately to verify the clip, determine the facts, and take protective and legal steps to ensure voters’ safety and the integrity of the electoral process. Public confidence in elections is non-negotiable.
DEMANDS:
ADP Lagos therefore demands, without delay:
- A public, transparent investigation by the Lagos State Police Command and DSS into the alleged statements and the circumstances of their making; any person found to have incited violence must be charged under the relevant sections of the Criminal Code and the Electoral Act.
- Immediate engagement from INEC to strengthen voter-protection protocols in areas where union influence or organized intimidation has historically been reported, and to circulate clear statements protecting the right to vote without fear.
- A statement from the NURTW national leadership clarifying their position and disavowing any use of union structures for political intimidation; unions must be organizations for labour protection – not instruments of political coercion.
- Full media verification – journalists must pursue verified, primary-source material and avoid amplifying unverified claims that could escalate tensions; social-media platforms should work with authorities to prevent the spread of inflammatory content while preserving lawful reporting.
- Immediate dialogues with community leaders across Lagos to de-escalate tensions and to build citizen-led early-warning mechanisms that help prevent politically motivated violence.
A WARNING: POLITICS MUST NOT BE ARMED
Lagos is a city of entrepreneurs, traders, workers, students, and families who want peace, opportunity, and accountable government. Turning political competition into a contest of coercion and fear is a recipe for instability that will hurt every Lagosian – not just political opponents. ADP Lagos will not accept attempts to replace ballots with bullets, intimidation, or the shadow-control of neighborhoods by violent networks. We will pursue every lawful avenue to protect our supporters and all citizens.
CALL TO OUR MEMBERS AND ALL LAGOSIANS:
To our members, volunteers, and every resident of Lagos: remain calm, remain lawful, and exercise your constitutional rights. Report any acts of intimidation, extortion, or threats immediately to the police and to ADP Lagos hotlines. We will coordinate legal aid and protection where credible threats arise. Do not mobilize violence in response – document, record, and report. The ADP is committed to peaceful, issue-based campaigning and will meet threats with law, organization, and civic mobilization.
NEXT STEPS FROM ADP LAGOS:
We will file an official complaint with the Lagos State Police Command and the DSS requesting urgent investigation and, where necessary, arrests and prosecutions.
We will write to INEC demanding enhanced voter-protection measures and deployment of additional observers in at-risk wards.
We will seek immediate interlocution with civil-society groups, religious leaders, and the media to coordinate a broad-based response to intimidation.
We will pursue civil and criminal remedies to any proven attempts at voter suppression, intimidation, or incitement to violence.
CONCLUSION:
Democracy in Lagos must be defended by law, by civic courage, and by principled leadership. The ADP will not be cowed, nor will it allow the people of Lagos to be threatened into silence. We call on all democrats – within and outside political parties – to join us in denouncing this unacceptable conduct, to insist on full investigations, and to demand that those who foment or direct violence be punished to the full extent of the law.
Signed,
ADP Lagos State Chapter
Press & Communications Office
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