The National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has threatened to kill anyone who attempts to rig the 2027 general election.
Omo-Agege issued the warning during a campaign, where he accused election riggers of undermining the future of Nigerians and their children.
He insisted that attempts to manipulate the results of the forthcoming elections would not be tolerated.
The former deputy senate president used the phrase “rig and die” to emphasise his warning against electoral fraud.
“I want to make news again: Anybody who rig election that day, we will kill him. Rig and die. If you don’t value your life, come and rig election,” he said.
“They are rigging your future, they are rigging the future of your children. We are waiting for them. Let them try. Rig and die. We are going to do it aura for aura. We are just looking at them,” Omo-Agege added.
The NDC candidate also criticised the advice often given to candidates who challenge alleged electoral fraud to seek redress in court.
He argued that election manipulation threatens the interests of voters and the country’s future, warning those involved in the electoral process against undermining the will of the electorate.
His comments come ahead of the 2027 general election, as political parties and candidates prepare for the polls.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the NDC governorship candidate in Kwara State, Abdulmumin Ajia, has called for an independent audit of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) over allegations that public funds meant for vulnerable residents are being used to settle political obligations.
Ajia also demanded a comprehensive financial account of the programme from its inception, including annual budgetary allocations, actual releases, expenditure, administrative costs and outstanding balances.
The candidate made the demands in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, urging Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and KWASSIP management to explain the programme’s spending and beneficiary selection procedures.
According to Ajia, allegations of substantial payments made outside established application and beneficiary selection processes have raised questions about the purpose, authorisation and oversight of the expenditure.
He called for an independent investigation to establish the facts and determine whether the programme’s resources had been used for purposes other than those for which they were intended.
“Social investment should protect vulnerable households, support livelihoods and provide a credible pathway out of poverty.
“Any diversion of those resources, if established, would constitute a betrayal of the people the programme exists to serve,” Ajia said.
The governorship candidate urged the state government to publish the eligibility criteria for beneficiaries, approved benefit categories, payment limits and verifiable disbursement figures across Kwara State’s 16 local government areas.
He said sensitive personal information belonging to beneficiaries should be protected during the disclosure process.
Ajia also demanded explanations for payments allegedly made outside established procedures, including their purposes, approving authorities and supporting budgetary provisions.
He called for the publication of information on consultants, contractors and payment intermediaries engaged by KWASSIP, including their selection processes, responsibilities and fees.
The candidate further urged the government to make the scope and findings of the proposed independent audit public, alongside its response to any issues identified.
“The General Manager of KWASSIP should exercise particular care in authorising and administering public expenditure. Every payment must have a demonstrable public purpose, proper approval and an auditable record,” he said.
Ajia warned that the programme’s management and other relevant officials should be prepared to account for their decisions, particularly as a new administration is expected to take office in 2027.
He also called for the preservation of payment instructions, beneficiary records, approval documents, bank transaction records, contracts and official correspondence for possible lawful scrutiny.
The NDC candidate urged the Kwara State House of Assembly to investigate the allegations transparently and refer any credible evidence of financial misconduct to the appropriate authorities.
“Where wrongdoing is established, recovery and accountability should follow through lawful procedures,” he said.
However, Ajia cautioned that any investigation should not disrupt legitimate assistance to vulnerable residents. He also called for measures to protect beneficiaries and whistle-blowers against intimidation, political conditions and retaliation.
“Public assistance is funded by the people. Access to it must never depend on party membership, personal loyalty or support for a political officeholder.
“Funds intended to alleviate hardship must never become a means of settling political obligations,” he added.