2027 Elections: Experts Warn Of Rising Violence, Demand Action Beyond Peace Accord
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, concerns are mounting over the safety of candidates, supporters and voters, with experts warning that signing peace agreements alone may not prevent political violence.
The growing threat of intimidation, hate speech, misinformation and attacks on political opponents has prompted the Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa) to call for urgent, coordinated action to protect the electoral process.
The organisation made the call following a policy webinar held on 28 October 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 the gap between political commitments to peaceful elections and the practical measures needed to enforce them.
With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027, followed by governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on 6 February, participants said electoral peace must go beyond the ceremonial signing of agreements.
They warned that peace accords, although important, cannot automatically stop political intimidation, inflammatory campaigns, misinformation, hate speech or violence against candidates and their supporters.
Professor Babayo Sule of CORN West Africa proposed 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 should operate at federal, state and local government levels, with mechanisms for early warning, rapid response, civic awareness, issue-based campaigns and credible resolution of electoral disputes.
Also speaking, Dengiyefa Angalapu, a Research Analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), called for evidence-driven interventions to tackle electoral violence.
He urged civil society organisations to systematically document incidents of political violence, strengthen engagement with political parties and electoral institutions at the subnational level, and advocate consistent enforcement of existing laws.
Angalapu 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 threats to electoral security.
The tracker documents election-related incidents, wider insecurity, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech narratives, drawing on election security reporters and fact-checkers in Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states.
He also raised concerns about online attacks targeting women candidates, warning that such attacks could discourage or undermine women’s participation in politics.
Participants further questioned the effectiveness of voluntary peace agreements that lack clear compliance and enforcement mechanisms.
A retired Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, stressed that the National Peace Accord should complement, rather than replace, existing legal, institutional and security frameworks.
He said political parties, candidates, security agencies, the media and citizens all had responsibilities to prevent electoral violence, document violations and demand accountability, regardless of political affiliation.
Summing up the discussions, Dr Timipere Felix Allison, a member of CORN West Africa and moderator of the webinar, said peaceful elections required more than signatures and public declarations.
“Peaceful elections cannot be secured by signatures alone. They required sustained commitment, vigilance, accountability and coordinated action by all electoral stakeholders, from the national level to our communities,” he said.
The October webinar is the first in a five-part series organised by CORN West Africa to promote peaceful elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The series will continue through February 2027, providing a platform for sustained engagement among electoral stakeholders, civil society groups, researchers, security institutions, media practitioners and community leaders.
The organisation said the initiative was aimed at translating commitments to peaceful elections into practical measures that can prevent violence and strengthen democratic participation.
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