2027: Stakeholders demand action against electoral violence

… Falana urges INEC prosecution unit, police warn politicians against sponsoring thugs

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

Stakeholders have called for stricter enforcement of electoral laws, prosecution of offenders and accountability for political actors to curb violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They made the call at the sixth edition of the Frontier Discourse Annual Public Lecture Series and Awards, organised by Pacesetter Frontier Magazine in Abuja on Tuesday, where speakers expressed concern over political thuggery, restrictions on opposition campaigns, unemployment, insecurity and the failure to enforce laws protecting citizens.

The event was themed, “Barrel to Ballot: The Naturalisation of Violence, Nigeria’s Polity, and its Democratic Circus.”

Delivering the keynote address, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish a dedicated prosecution unit to handle electoral offences.

He said the commission should obtain reports from the police and other security agencies, investigate electoral violations and prosecute those found culpable.

Falana argued that the Electoral Act placed responsibility for prosecuting electoral offenders on INEC, insisting that the commission should not leave the task entirely to the police and other security agencies.

He also faulted the National Assembly for failing to implement the recommendation for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, alleging that politicians were deliberately allowing a system that encouraged political thuggery to persist.

The senior advocate warned against portraying political violence as the exclusive preserve of any political party, saying supporters of both the ruling party and opposition parties had been involved in attacks.

“I am suggesting that INEC should have a prosecution unit with a view to getting reports from the police and other security agencies about electoral offences and then take them to court,” he said.

“The politicians in Abuja, members of the National Assembly have refused, deliberately so, to implement the recommendation that there shall be in the country an electoral offences commission.

“Politicians do not want to distort the status quo. So they want us to continue to live with thuggery because the thugs are agents of politicians from all the political spectrum.”

Falana also alleged that opposition parties had been prevented from erecting campaign billboards in some states, while supporters of different political parties had engaged in acts of vandalism and attacks against their opponents.

He insisted that no political party should be allowed to claim innocence or justify violence against its opponents, stressing that all political actors must be held accountable.

He further criticised state governments for allegedly imposing excessive charges on campaign billboards, saying some had introduced guidelines capable of restricting opposition parties’ access to campaign platforms.

“In some states or many states in the country, state governments have brought out obnoxious electoral guidelines. If you want to erect your billboard, you must pay a fee of about N150m to N200m depending on which position you are contesting for.

“I have submitted here that no state government has the power under the law to monetise campaign,” he said.

Falana maintained that INEC was constitutionally empowered to issue guidelines for national elections and monitor political campaigns, arguing that state governments and other authorities should not introduce measures that restrict political participation.

He urged the commission to intervene and ensure that political parties and state governments withdrew from actions capable of interfering with the electoral process.

Citing the case of Balarabe Musa v. INEC, he argued that electoral guidelines must conform with the Constitution and should not be used to restrict the civic space.

On the responsibilities of political parties, Falana said the Constitution required them to adopt and implement the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy, including provisions on education, healthcare and citizens’ welfare.

He acknowledged that Chapter Two of the Constitution was generally regarded as non-justiciable but noted that legislation had made some of its provisions enforceable.

Citing the Child Rights Act, he said state governments had enacted laws providing for free and compulsory education from primary to secondary school, but poor implementation had left millions of children without access to education.

He also cited the National Health Insurance Act and the Pension Reform Act as examples of legislation giving practical effect to citizens’ social and economic rights.

Falana urged young Nigerians to question political office seekers about their records on employment, security, social protection and education rather than allow themselves to be recruited for electoral violence.

He said political campaigns should provide opportunities for citizens to demand explanations from candidates on how they intended to address the needs of young people and vulnerable groups.

He also argued that unemployed Nigerians should be able to approach relevant government institutions, including local government offices and the National Directorate of Employment, for assistance in line with constitutional provisions.

On social protection, he maintained that cash transfers to poor and vulnerable Nigerians should be treated as an obligation rather than merely a government policy.

The lawyer also called for alternative economic programmes to address poverty, unemployment and revenue leakages, questioning the country’s reliance on policies promoted by international financial institutions.

He further questioned the abandonment of the Nigeria-China currency swap arrangement, arguing that the country should explore opportunities to strengthen trade and economic relations.

On revenue losses, Falana referred to a 2021 government report on cargo tracking, which he said indicated that Nigeria lost $32 billion during the 13 years the system was suspended.

He estimated that the country lost an additional $10 billion between 2021 and 2025, arguing that cargo tracking and other revenue-monitoring mechanisms could help address financial leakages.

He declared that Nigeria had no business remaining in poverty and urged the government to adopt economic policies capable of improving citizens’ living conditions.

Falana also called on young Nigerians to exercise their sovereign power through the ballot rather than engage in activities capable of undermining the country, urging them to vote for candidates of their choice at the federal, state and local government levels.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, represented by the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, warned political leaders against sponsoring thuggery and recruiting young Nigerians to perpetrate violence ahead of the elections.

Disu identified desperation for political power, sponsorship of political thugs, unemployment and a culture of impunity as factors contributing to electoral violence.

He said young people recruited to attack political opponents were often abandoned by their sponsors after elections, while those responsible for sponsoring the violence continued to enjoy political protection.

The IGP warned that the growing acceptance of political violence posed a serious threat to democratic development.

“These young people are often abandoned after elections, while those who sponsor the activities continue to enjoy political protection. This practice is unacceptable and must be collectively condemned,” he said.

“The greatest danger is not merely the occurrence of these incidents, but the gradual normalisation of such behaviour. When political violence becomes an accepted feature of political campaigns, elections, and governance, society begins to lose its sensitivity to democratic abuses. That’s the naturalisation of violence, and it’s a serious threat to our collective future.”

He urged young Nigerians to reject attempts by politicians to use them as instruments of violence, warning that they could bear the consequences long after their sponsors had moved on.

Disu also called on political leaders to avoid inflammatory statements and political thuggery, while urging political parties to strengthen internal democracy and focus on issue-based campaigns.

He assured that the police would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to prevent violence and protect the electoral process.

Also speaking, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, represented by the ministry’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Zainab Christiana Pisagih, said violence in a democracy extended beyond physical attacks and the use of weapons.

Musawa, who chaired the event, identified economic deprivation, hate speech, ethnic manipulation, religious division and political exclusion as other forms of violence capable of weakening democratic institutions.

She also expressed concern over alleged attempts to use expensive billboard rates to restrict opposition parties, warning that unequal access to campaign platforms could undermine democratic participation.

“An election conducted under the shadow of fear cannot fully represent the free will of the people. Democracy should never be a competition of who can intimidate the electorate, manipulate the process, or deploy the greatest number of political enforcers,” she said.

The minister further raised concerns over political defections without ideological consistency, campaign promises without corresponding performance and political alliances without accountability.

She said the strength of democracy should be measured by improvements in citizens’ quality of life rather than political manoeuvring and the pursuit of power.

Earlier, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, who co-chaired the event, said national development required an environment where institutions were respected, investments protected and citizens could contribute meaningfully.

The Founder of Pacesetter Frontier Magazine, Prince Onochie Jon-Igwesi, said the theme was informed by concerns over insecurity and the possibility of political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the lecture was designed to provide a platform for government representatives, opposition parties, security agencies and civil society organisations to discuss practical measures for reducing electoral violence.

Jon-Igwesi described young people as central to the country’s electoral process because of their voting strength and urged political leaders to protect them from recruitment into violent activities.

He expressed hope that the 2027 general elections would record the lowest incidents of reported political and electoral violence in the country.

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