THE Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mustapha Sego, has honoured an invitation from the State Security Services (SSS) following allegations that he made inciting comments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sego was summoned after a video went viral showing him addressing members of the union. In the footage, he warned that “what happened in 2023 would not be allowed to repeat itself in 2027.”
He was also heard saying in Yoruba: “Anybody who makes any mistakes in 2027 will be dealt with. Let them know that the All Progressives Congress is the party you’ll vote for, anybody, who refuses to do so will meet us.”
The remarks sparked outrage among opposition figures and civil society groups, who accused the NURTW boss of threatening Lagos voters and attempting to instill fear ahead of the polls.
But Sego has denied the allegations. In a disclaimer video released after meeting with SSS officials, he insisted his words were directed only at union members and not the general public.
“I have always been a man of peace, and my messages are directed only to our members. Everyone has the right to associate freely and choose their affiliations, and I fully respect that,” he said.
He further alleged that the controversy was part of a plot by rival union members to destabilise his leadership.
“There is always an enemy in every job, and we know where this is coming from. This is clearly an attempt to destabilize me and the NURTW in Lagos State,” Sego stated.
The SSS has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
The development comes as opposition politics in Lagos face internal turbulence. In July, Lagos PDP chairman Philip Aivoji dismissed claims that the party’s structure had collapsed into the APC following the defection of former publicity secretary Hakeem Amode and governorship candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor).
Aivoji described those who left as few and politically irrelevant, insisting the PDP remains intact across all 245 wards in the state. He also accused the ruling party of derailing democracy, warning that electoral reforms were needed to rebuild public trust.
“This is not the democracy MKO Abiola died for,” he said.
Shadows of 2023 violence
The controversy around Sego’s remarks recalls the widespread violence that marred Lagos elections in 2023. Investigations by The ICIR documented harrowing accounts from victims across Surulere, Ojo, Somolu, Ikeja, Oshodi, and other parts of the state, where voters were stabbed, beaten, and in some cases killed.
One victim, Jennifer Edifi, was attacked in Surulere on February 25 but returned to cast her vote with a battered face. In Somolu, 68-year-old Simon Maduekwe collapsed and died after a clash between thugs and voters at his polling unit. In Ikeja, Queen Ezeogu sustained a fractured arm after being assaulted while trying to monitor irregularities.
Several opposition party members also told The ICIR that thugs loyal to the ruling APC unleashed violence to suppress voter turnout. The then Labour Party’s publicity secretary in Lagos, Olubunmi Odesanya, described the violence as “incontrovertible,” noting that many of their members were stabbed and injured.
The police later confirmed arrests but dismissed reports of widespread violence, insisting that the cases represented less than 1 per cent of polling units across the state.
Heightened tension ahead of 2027
With less than two years before the 2027 polls, Lagos politics is already under intense scrutiny. Civil society organisations warn that inflammatory rhetoric from influential figures, combined with the state’s history of politically motivated violence, poses serious risks for the credibility of the next election.
Paul James of YIAGA Africa told The ICIR that unchecked violence undermines democracy. “The purpose of electoral violence is to disrupt and undermine the electoral process. Unless perpetrators are punished, it will remain a recurring feature of Nigerian elections,” he said.
A reporter with the ICIR
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