2027 Elections: CESJET Sends Message to Peter Obi, Atiku as Political Violence Spreads
- The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency condemned rising political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections
- CESJET cited over 100 peace accord breaches and roughly 70 attacks causing about 27 deaths between January and late October 2026
- The group specifically called on Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar to publicly order their supporters to stop the violence
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Abuja, FCT - The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has condemned what it described as a dangerous and escalating pattern of politically motivated violence in Nigeria, with less than two months to the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by Joyce Idoko on Friday, CESJET accused major political parties of deploying reckless tactics against opponents instead of engaging voters on issues that matter. The group called specifically on presidential contenders, including Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to publicly restrain their supporters and advocate for peace.
Source: Twitter
Violence Spreads Across Multiple States
CESJET pointed to a string of recent incidents as evidence of the deteriorating security climate around campaign activities. Among them was a clash at an NDC town hall meeting in Oregun, Lagos, where suspected thugs armed with guns, cutlasses and axes injured several people. Similar violence has been documented in Delta, Zamfara, Enugu, Ebonyi, Katsina and other states.
Independent monitors have recorded over 100 breaches of peace accords and around 70 physical attacks since January 2026, resulting in about 27 deaths as of late October. CESJET warned that the ongoing pattern of thuggery, convoy attacks and rally disruptions could damage public confidence in the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
"We are disturbed by the deliberate attempt by some actors to intimidate opponents and scare ordinary Nigerians away from participating in the process," Idoko said.
"It is not enough for candidates to issue one-line condemnations after the damage has been done. Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and every other major aspirant must come out clearly, name the problem, and order their structures to stop the violence."
CESJET Warns Politicians Against Quiet Encouragement of Thugs
The organisation noted that the APC, the NDC, the ADC and other parties have all traded accusations of sponsoring violence, creating a climate of mutual suspicion. CESJET said this showed no party was blameless and that political thuggery had become deeply entrenched.
President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to confront thuggery decisively, and the House of Representatives has set up a committee to investigate the attacks. CESJET welcomed both moves but said political leaders must go further than official statements.
"Security agencies cannot do this job alone if the politicians who benefit from the chaos continue to look the other way or quietly encourage it," Idoko said. She urged party leaders to disband known thug networks and redirect their energy towards policy debates on the economy, security and governance.
CESJET also warned that unchecked violence could suppress voter turnout, particularly among women and young people, and trigger disputed results and post-election unrest.
"If this violence is not checked now, many voters, especially women and young people, will simply stay home on election day out of fear," Idoko added. "That is exactly what some of these desperate politicians want."
2027 Election: INEC, Police Vow Crackdown on Politicians
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have both said they will act against politicians who make threatening or inflammatory statements, as political tensions rise ahead of the 2027 elections.
They spoke in response to growing public concern over a series of provocative remarks made by politicians across several states in recent months.
Under the Electoral Act, Section 97(1) bars any party, candidate or individual from directly or indirectly threatening another person with force or violence during a campaign. Section 132 criminalises the use or threat of force to influence voting, with convictions carrying a fine of N2 million or three years in prison.
Source: Legit.ng
