By Frontline Reporters

The political temperature ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections has risen sharply following a controversial threat by the Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, against residents who refuse to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Buba, in a video now circulating widely on social media, allegedly warned that those who decline to support the APC would be “flogged,” while urging residents to align with the ruling party to enjoy the benefits of government.

The commissioner made the remarks on Monday at a campaign inauguration organised by the Tinubu City Boy Movement, a political support group mobilising support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

In the video, Buba suggested that political engagement could involve persuasion or force, claiming that some individuals had been attacking the APC on social media platforms such as TikTok.

“As for some people who do not deserve us to call their names. In politics, sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes it goes with persuasion, and sometimes it goes with force. Right now, we are being persuasive, but we’ve noticed they are throwing jabs at us on TikTok,” he said.

The commissioner went further, issuing a stark warning to those he accused of targeting the government politically.

“If they point fingers at us, we will point fingers at them; if they point fingers at us with malicious intent, then we will hold that finger and break it,” Buba said.

He added: “This government is our government; follow us and enjoy honey. As for those who refuse to follow us, they will be flogged.”

Buba also told supporters that campaign materials would be brought into the state, urging them to remain aligned with the APC and benefit from the administration.

The remarks have sparked renewed concerns over the increasingly aggressive tone of political rhetoric as parties and their supporters begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of another recent political storm involving the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Shekwolo, who was reported to have warned residents who do not support the APC to leave the council ahead of the 2027 elections.

Shekwolo, in a video circulated on social media, reportedly linked his position to what he described as the developmental interventions of President Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in Kuje.

He argued that residents benefiting from government projects should not turn around to vote against the APC in 2027.

The latest controversy also recalls the uproar over comments attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi of Osun East during the build-up to the August 15, 2026 governorship election. His remarks concerning members of the Accord Party triggered widespread condemnation, with Governor Ademola Adeleke calling for his arrest and investigation.

Fadahunsi subsequently denied advocating violence, insisting that his statement had been misunderstood and that he was referring to defeating the Accord Party through votes rather than physical attacks.

The senator was later invited and questioned by the Osun State Police Command over the controversial remarks.

With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the latest statements have once again placed political language and the responsibility of public officials under intense scrutiny.

Civil society groups and political observers are expected to closely monitor such rhetoric, particularly where statements by elected or appointed officials could be interpreted as threats against citizens for exercising their constitutional right to support parties or candidates of their choice.

Beyond the political rivalry, the controversy raises a larger question: How far can political persuasion go before it crosses the line into intimidation—and what happens when those entrusted with public office appear to blur that line?

ADVERTISEMENTS