By Jane Okeke
A coalition of civil rights organisations has raised the alarm over the alleged proliferation of firearms, political intimidation and escalating violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections.
The Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, at a world press conference, said recent incidents across Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Borno and the Federal Capital Territory point to a troubling pattern capable of undermining peaceful political participation and the credibility of the polls.
The coalition specifically expressed concern over footage reportedly showing a National Democratic Congress, NDC, House of Assembly candidate in Kano, Aminu Abdullahi Warkal, participating in campaign activities while visibly carrying a firearm. It said such displays could intimidate voters and normalise the presence of weapons in political campaigns.
It also cited a reported attack on an NDC ward meeting in Obuoffia, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, where gunmen allegedly disrupted the meeting, destroyed property and injured at least eight people. The group further raised concerns over alleged inflammatory statements attributed to political actors in Ebonyi and Borno states.
The coalition said opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, ADC, have also complained of alleged harassment, destruction of campaign materials and restrictions on peaceful political gatherings in some parts of the country.
According to the group, the combination of political intolerance, inflammatory rhetoric and the alleged display of firearms could create an atmosphere of fear capable of disenfranchising citizens before they even reach the polling units.
However, the coalition drew a distinction between what it described as physical intimidation and the recent comments of the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Jarrett Tenebe. It said his remarks about prayer, the Permanent Voter Card and reliance on security agencies had been misunderstood and taken out of context.
The group said Tenebe had urged voters to hold their Bibles and PVCs and had called on security agencies to take charge of the situation, arguing that his message should be interpreted as an appeal for peaceful participation rather than an endorsement of violence.
The coalition is therefore demanding immediate action by security and intelligence agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, against politicians, candidates and political thugs found unlawfully possessing or brandishing firearms, irrespective of political affiliation.
It also called on governors and government officials to stop inflammatory rhetoric, protect opposition parties and minorities, and strengthen security in vulnerable areas ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that democracy must be protected by the law and the ballot box, not by guns and political thuggery.
