Centre Condemns Politically Motivated Violence in Nigeria

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has strongly condemned the increasing trend of politically motivated violence across Nigeria, just two months before the 2027 general elections. CESJET describes this trend as a threat to democratic participation and national stability. In a statement signed by Joyce Idoko, the organisation accused leading political parties of using desperate and reckless tactics against opponents instead of engaging in issue-based campaigns.

CESJET specifically called on major presidential contenders, including Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to publicly advocate for peace and restrain their supporters. Recent incidents include a clash at an NDC town hall meeting in Oregun, Lagos, where suspected thugs injured many citizens. Similar violence has been reported in multiple states, including Delta, Zamfara, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Katsina.

According to CESJET, independent trackers have recorded over 100 breaches of peace accords and roughly 70 physical attacks, resulting in about 27 deaths between January and late October 2026. The centre warned that this pattern of violence risks eroding public confidence in the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly polls. CESJET expressed concern that some actors are deliberately trying to intimidate opponents and scare ordinary Nigerians away from participating in the process.

CESJET urged major aspirants, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, to clearly condemn the violence, identify the problem, and order their structures to stop the violence. The organisation noted that accusations of sponsorship have been traded between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the NDC, the ADC, and other parties, creating an atmosphere of mutual suspicion. CESJET observed that these incidents show that no side is immune to the culture of political thuggery.

President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to confront thuggery with full force, while the House of Representatives has constituted a committee to investigate the attacks. CESJET welcomed these steps but insisted that political leaders must demonstrate genuine commitment to non-violence beyond official statements. The organisation emphasised that security agencies cannot do this job alone if politicians continue to encourage or look the other way at the chaos.

CESJET urged all parties to move beyond rhetoric and take practical steps to address the issue. The organisation called on parties to disband known networks of political thugs in their states and channel their energy into debates about how to fix the economy, improve security, and deliver good governance. CESJET warned that failure to reverse the trend could lead to lower voter turnout, disputed results, and post-election unrest.

The organisation called on every responsible Nigerian to reject thuggery and demand that their leaders do the same. CESJET emphasised that democracy only works when people can freely choose their leaders without threats. The centre warned that if this violence is not checked, many voters, especially women and young people, will stay home on election day out of fear, which could lead to undesirable outcomes.

Key points

• Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency condemns politically motivated violence in Nigeria.
• The organisation urges major presidential contenders to publicly advocate for peace.
• Failure to address the issue could lead to lower voter turnout and post-election unrest.