The Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, has been dragged before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory over an alleged statement directing residents to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or leave the area council.
The suit, marked FCT/HC/CV/3984/2026, was filed by Chronicles Reporters News Limited and Mannaseh B.P., a registered member of the African Action Congress (AAC) and resident of Kuje Area Council.
The applicants, through their lawyers at Pathlegal and Co., are asking the court to intervene in what they described as an alleged threat to their constitutional rights, particularly their freedom of expression, association, movement and protection against discrimination.
The case followed a viral video in which Shekwolo was allegedly heard saying: “I have said in my area council that it’s either you are for the APC or you leave the area council. I am not arguing about it at all.”
The applicants are asking the court to declare the alleged statement unconstitutional and unlawful, arguing that it violates fundamental rights guaranteed under Sections 39, 40, 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as relevant provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
They are also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Shekwolo, his agents, servants or representatives from implementing, encouraging or promoting any form of political expulsion, intimidation, harassment or discrimination against residents on the basis of their political affiliation, belief or opinion.
The applicants are demanding ₦100million in exemplary and aggravated damages over the alleged infringement of their rights.
They are further asking the court to compel the council chairman to tender a public apology and publish the apology in two national newspapers.
In addition, the applicants want relevant security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the alleged statement and determine whether it amounts to an electoral offence under applicable laws, including the Electoral Act 2022.
Speaking on the case, lead applicant Paul Bem Mannaseh described the suit as a test of the extent to which elected public officials can use the authority of their offices to demand political loyalty from citizens.
“This is not just another political case. This is a direct assault on the soul of Nigerian democracy,” Mannaseh said.
He argued that occupying an elected office does not confer ownership of the territory administered by the office holder or give the official powers to determine the political identity of residents.
“No public officer owns the territory he administers. No Nigerian citizen’s right to live, associate and express political opinion can be held hostage to party loyalty. The video is clear, the words are unambiguous, and the law is crystal. There is simply no defence,” he said.
Mannaseh, who said he lives in Kuje and belongs to the AAC, described the alleged statement as particularly troubling for residents who support opposition political parties.
“As an AAC member living in Kuje, that statement was a direct threat against me and every opposition supporter in the Area Council. We refuse to be intimidated into silence or forced into exile in our own land. This case is for every Nigerian who still believes that democracy means choice, not coercion,” he stated.
The applicants contend that the matter goes beyond ordinary political disagreement because the alleged statement was purportedly made by a serving public official and appeared to link residents’ continued stay in the Area Council to their political allegiance.
They argue that, if established, the statement raises fundamental constitutional questions over freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of movement and residence, as well as protection against discrimination.
The suit also brings renewed attention to the limits of political authority at the grassroots level and whether elected officials can lawfully threaten residents with exclusion from their communities because they refuse to support the political party controlling the local administration.
According to the applicants, Kuje Area Council belongs to all its residents regardless of their political affiliations and cannot be treated as the exclusive territory of APC members or supporters.
They maintain that democratic governance requires citizens to freely support political parties of their choice, criticise government policies, associate with opposition groups and participate in political activities without fear of retaliation, harassment or expulsion.
The applicants are therefore asking the court to determine whether the alleged declaration amounted to an unlawful attempt to condition citizens’ residence and participation in community life on political loyalty.
The case could potentially have wider implications for political freedom and accountability at the local government level, particularly where elected officials are accused of using public authority to intimidate or discriminate against residents because of their political affiliations.
For Chronicles Reporters News Limited, the case is also about establishing whether public office holders can exercise state authority without infringing on the constitutional rights of citizens who hold opposing political views.
