A frontline civil society leader and 2027 Accord Party senatorial candidate for Edo Central, Comrade Kennedy Iyere, has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and investigate the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarett Tenebe, over alleged political remarks involving an AK-47.

Iyere, who made the call in a petition to the State Director of the DSS in Edo State, described the remarks attributed to Tenebe as a development capable of threatening peace, political stability and national security.

He also urged the DSS to compel the APC chairman to publicly retract the alleged remarks across various media platforms.

According to Iyere, the development should not be treated casually, warning that failure to address the matter could trigger youth-led protests and political agitations across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the alleged remarks had already attracted widespread condemnation, adding that their potential consequences required immediate intervention by the security agency.

Iyere, who identified himself as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Youths Off The Street Initiative (YOTSI), said his concerns were informed by his involvement in youth mobilisation, civil society activities and national youth intervention programmes.

He said Nigeria remained vulnerable to political instability because of widespread youth unemployment and poverty, which, according to him, had left many young people frustrated and susceptible to political mobilisation.

Iyere claimed that some civil society organisations and opposition support groups had been planning a nationwide protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC under the banner of “#TinubuMustGo.”

He said he had previously used his relationships with leaders of the groups to discourage the planned protest, which he argued could have consequences for the 2027 elections and national security.

The Accord Party candidate said he had also worked with the DSS in relation to his youth intervention activities, particularly the Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalization Programme (YEIDEP), which he described as a national youth economic intervention initiative.

He urged the DSS to consider the alleged AK-47 remarks within the broader political and security environment in the country and take steps to prevent the escalation of tensions.

Iyere also raised concerns over alleged plans by the Edo State Government and the state APC leadership to arrest some leaders of opposition support groups ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said such actions, if carried out, could generate anger among young people and trigger protests and wider political agitation.

“I am using this medium to draw your attention to this political threat, which if allowed to occur, will attract widespread youth rage that will lead to anti-Tinubu, anti-government, anti-APC and pro-democracy nationwide agitations,” Iyere said.

He therefore appealed to the DSS to investigate the allegations and take appropriate steps “in the interest of peace, stability and national security.” (The Guardian)