By Destiny Obinna
A legal practitioner and political analyst, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to investigate alleged political threats ahead of the 2027 general elections to prevent them from escalating into violence.
Ejiofor made the call in a statement titled, “Edo on the Edge: Okpebholo’s Bloody Rhetoric and the Political Time Bomb Building Under Tinubu’s Watch.”
He expressed concern over what he described as increasingly hostile political rhetoric in Edo State, saying the security agencies should act on credible threats before they result in bloodshed.
According to him, the major concern should not be who wins the 2027 election, but whether Nigerians would be able to participate in the process safely and freely.
“My greatest concern is not about who wins the next election. My concern is whether Nigerians will be alive, free and sufficiently secure to participate in it,” he said.
Ejiofor cited several incidents involving political actors in Edo State which, according to him, had raised concerns among opposition figures and civil society groups.
He referred to the July 2025 controversy involving Governor Monday Okpebholo and Labour Party leader Peter Obi, when the governor warned Obi against visiting Edo without security clearance. Ejiofor noted that although the governor later said the comment was about security procedures rather than a threat, statements from public officials, he argued, could influence the political atmosphere.
He also referred to an April 2026 viral video allegedly involving a senior aide to the governor, in which opposition figures, including Obi, were reportedly threatened with arrest.
Ejiofor said such developments should not be dismissed as ordinary political exchanges, arguing that statements involving the arrest, exclusion or intimidation of political opponents could become dangerous when repeatedly made.
He urged security agencies to focus not only on investigating crimes after they occur but also on gathering intelligence, assessing potential threats and taking lawful preventive measures.
“Security agencies exist not merely to investigate crimes after they have been committed, but also, within the limits of law, to identify credible threats and prevent violence before it occurs,” he said.
The lawyer also expressed concern about what he described as the growing tendency to treat political opposition as hostility, stressing that opposition politicians and voters have a legitimate place in a democratic system.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to pay attention to political developments across the states, regardless of the party controlling a particular government.
Ejiofor further cited a September 1 statement by Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru, who told opposition politicians that they would “see real threat at the right time” while urging newly inaugurated local government chairmen to strengthen the APC’s grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the developments in Edo and other states should serve as a reminder of the need for early intervention where credible threats emerge.
Ejiofor maintained that elections could only be meaningful when citizens were able to participate without fear or intimidation.
He urged relevant security and constitutional institutions to monitor emerging political flashpoints, investigate credible threats and ensure that political competition did not degenerate into violence.
“The time to douse a political fire is before it becomes an inferno,” Ejiofor said, warning that authorities should not wait until violence occurs before taking preventive action.
