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By 247ureports.com
The Edo State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, has declared his personal hatred for Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and said he would spit in his face if they met, in remarks that have drawn fresh criticism online.
What He Said
According to reports published on October 10, Tenebe also said he would spit in the faces of Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, and Obi if he saw them, citing their criticism of President Bola Tinubu. “If I see them, I will spit in their faces,” he said.
He singled out Obi, saying the dislike was personal and that he would not withdraw it. “As for Obi, I hate him, and I maintain that. If I see him, I will spit in his face and bite his nose. I will pretend that I want to tell him something, then bite his ear and chew it. Take it like that. I hate him,” he reportedly said.
Tenebe also questioned how Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, could govern together, pointing to what he described as differences in their positions, including on alcohol consumption. The reports do not say where or when the remarks were made, and 247ureports.com has not seen the full video.
Not the First Time
Tenebe has said similar things before. In 2025, he told TVC that “the opposite of hate is love” and that he does not like Obi, adding that he has “the right to like or hate.” That followed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s statement that Obi must seek his clearance before visiting Edo State, which Tenebe defended, saying Obi is “well-hated” in the state. He also accused Obi of indirectly contributing to the deaths of some people during a visit, a claim for which he offered no evidence in the coverage reviewed.
Coming After the AK-47 Row
The comments follow days after Tenebe’s “AK-47 fire” warning at a campaign rally about anyone who stands in the way of the APC’s plan to deliver 2.5 million Edo votes for Tinubu, which Amnesty International Nigeria condemned and for which it called on the police and the Department of State Services to hold him to account. The Peoples Democratic Party and other critics have also seized on his remarks.
Response
Neither Obi nor Atiku has responded to the latest remarks in the reports reviewed, and 247ureports.com had not located a response from the Edo APC or the national party. Obi has previously said he will not insult or disrespect political opponents regardless of their differences.
Why It Matters
A hatred remark is not a crime, and Tenebe has said he has the right to express his feelings. But a party chairman describing physical acts he would carry out on rival candidates, in the middle of a campaign season in which election monitors and rights groups are already warning about political violence, has raised concerns about the tone of the 2027 race.
