By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa) has called for urgent and coordinated action by political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to prevent electoral violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The organisation said the National Peace Accord must be backed by concrete measures, effective accountability and sustained engagement to guarantee peaceful political participation throughout the electoral process.
The call followed a policy webinar organised by CORN West Africa on October 28, 2026, with the theme, “Beyond the Peace Accord: Towards a Peace Agenda for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections.”
The webinar brought together researchers, peacebuilding practitioners, policymakers and electoral stakeholders to examine gaps between political commitments to peaceful elections and the practical steps required to prevent violence.
Participants expressed concern that signing peace agreements alone would not prevent political intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric, misinformation, hate speech and attacks against candidates and their supporters.
With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections slated for February 6, 2027, they stressed the need for immediate and sustained interventions.
Professor Babayo Sule of CORN West Africa advocated the establishment of a National Electoral Compact involving political parties, electoral institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, traditional rulers and religious leaders.
He said the proposed framework would strengthen early warning and rapid response mechanisms, civic awareness, issue-based campaigns and credible channels for resolving electoral disputes at federal, state and local government levels.
Also speaking, Dengiyefa Angalapu, a Research Analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), called for evidence-driven interventions, urging civil society organisations to systematically document electoral violence, engage political parties and electoral institutions at the subnational level and advocate consistent enforcement of existing laws.
He cited CDD-West Africa’s monthly Nigeria Election Security Tracker, produced under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme, as an example of efforts to monitor election-related incidents, insecurity, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
The tracker draws on election security reporters and fact-checkers across Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states.
Angalapu also raised concerns over increasing online attacks targeting women candidates, warning that such attacks could undermine women’s participation in the political process.
The webinar further highlighted the limitations of voluntary peace agreements without effective compliance and enforcement mechanisms.
A retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said the National Peace Accord should complement, rather than replace, existing legal, institutional and security frameworks.
He stressed that political parties, candidates, security agencies, the media and citizens all have responsibilities to prevent electoral violence, document violations and demand accountability, irrespective of political affiliation.
Speaking on the outcome of the discussion, Dr. Timipere Felix Allison, a member of CORN West Africa and moderator of the webinar, said peaceful elections required more than the signing of agreements.
“Peaceful elections cannot be secured by signatures alone. They require sustained commitment, vigilance, accountability and coordinated action by all electoral stakeholders, from the national level to our communities,” he said.
The organisation disclosed that the October webinar was the first in a five-part series aimed at preventing electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The series, which will run through February 2027, is expected to provide a platform for sustained engagement among electoral stakeholders, civil society organisations, researchers, security institutions, media practitioners and community leaders on practical measures to safeguard peaceful elections.
