2027: Lagos NURTW chair honours SSS invitation, denies incitement allegations

The Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mustapha Sego, has honoured an invitation by the State Security Services (SSS) over allegations of incitement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mr Sego was invited after a viral video showed him addressing union members and warning that “what happened in 2023 would not be allowed to repeat itself in 2027,” according to Vanguard newspaper.

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He was heard saying in Yoruba: “Anybody who makes 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 criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups, who accused him of attempting to intimidate Lagos voters.

In a disclaimer video released after meeting SSS officials, Mr Sego denied the allegations.

He said his comments were directed only at union members and not voters.

“I have always been a man of peace, and my messages are for our members alone. Everyone has the right to associate freely and choose their party, and I respect that,” he said.

Mr Sego alleged that the controversy was part of a plot by rival union members to destabilise his leadership.

The SSS has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

This comes as opposition party in the state has recently asserted it remained in existence despite being recently hit by major defections.

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 2023 governorship candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor.

Mr Aivoji said those who left were “few and politically irrelevant,” insisting the PDP remained intact across the state’s 245 wards.

READ ALSO: Court remands NURTW chieftain over dispatch riders death

He also accused the APC-led government of derailing democracy and warned that electoral reforms were needed to restore public trust.

“This is not the democracy MKO Abiola died for,” Mr Aivoji said. “Unless the electoral umpire is truly independent, people will see voting as a waste of time.”

With less than two years to the 2027 polls, Lagos politics is heating up — with union leaders facing security scrutiny and opposition parties struggling to consolidate their ranks.