The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has cautioned Nigerians against taking up arms under the pretext of protecting their votes during the 2027 general elections.
Keyamo warned that individuals who engage in violence or attack others while claiming to defend their votes could be lawfully neutralised by security operatives acting in the course of their duties.
The minister made this known in a post on his X account on Tuesday, reaffirming a position taken by former President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the 2019 general elections, which he said he supported.
He accused some politicians of urging citizens and suspected thugs to arm themselves and engage in electoral violence while allegedly sending their own children abroad to remain safe.
“After safely ferrying their children abroad, some unscrupulous politicians are encouraging hapless citizens and thugs to take up weapons to kill one another under the pretext of ‘protecting their votes’,” he said.
Referring to Buhari’s warning ahead of the 2019 elections, Keyamo maintained that security operatives were justified in neutralising individuals who resorted to self-help, carried dangerous weapons and attacked others under the guise of protecting their votes.
He further warned those considering such actions to be mindful of the potential consequences of confronting security personnel.
Keyamo also alleged that the children of politicians promoting electoral violence would be observing events from safe locations outside the country.
“Having been forewarned, you can then go ahead and exercise your options. CHIKENA!!” he added.