The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has strongly condemned the rising wave of politically motivated violence across Nigeria barely two months to the 2027 general elections, describing the trend as a dangerous threat to democratic participation and national stability.
In a statement signed by Joyce Idoko on Friday, the organisation accused leading political parties of deploying desperate and reckless tactics against opponents rather than 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), among others, to publicly sue for peace and restrain their supporters.
The statement comes amid a series of reported attacks on campaign events, convoys and supporters in multiple states.
Recent incidents include a clash at an NDC town hall meeting in Oregun, Lagos, where suspected thugs armed with guns, cutlasses and axes injured many citizens.
Similar violence has been recorded in Delta, Zamfara, Enugu, Ebonyi, Katsina and other states, with monitoring groups documenting dozens of election-related attacks and multiple fatalities since campaigning intensified.
CESJET noted that 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 the pattern of thuggery, convoy attacks and disruption of gatherings risks eroding public confidence in the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly polls.
“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.
“Nigerians are tired of the blame game. We need them to join the rest of the country in suing for peace before this situation gets completely out of hand.”
The organisation further observed 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 said these incidents show that no side is immune and that the culture of political thuggery has become widespread.
President Bola Tinubu has separately 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 themselves must demonstrate genuine commitment to non-violence beyond 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.
“We have seen this movie before. In previous election cycles, the same pattern of hired thugs, disrupted rallies and selective silence played out, and ordinary citizens paid the price.
“This time must be different. Party leaders must publicly disown the thugs and withdraw any support, direct or indirect, from those who engage in violence.”
CESJET urged all parties to move beyond rhetoric and take practical steps.
“Disband the known networks of political thugs in your states. Channel your energy into debates about how you will fix the economy, improve security and deliver good governance,” Idoko said.
“The Nigerian people are watching closely, and they will remember who chose persuasion and who chose intimidation.”
CESJET warned that failure to reverse the trend could lead to lower voter turnout, 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. But democracy only works when people can freely choose their leaders without threats.
“We are calling on every responsible Nigerian, regardless of party, to reject thuggery and demand that their leaders do the same.”
