• Obi’s Benue visit disrupted, NDC accuses APC, government of hiring thugs
• Police confirm NDC candidate’s visit, identify ‘prominent Nigerian’ as Obi
• CISLAC: Threats, attacks are early warning signals of electoral violence

Barely three weeks into the 2027 election campaign, the political temperature is rising, with threats of violence, intimidation and alleged attacks on opposition activities emerging across the country and raising fears that the contest could test the peace commitments made by political parties and presidential candidates.

The National Peace Committee (NPC), headed by Nigeria’s former military Head of State, retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and the Kukah Centre recently organised an accord-signing ceremony for presidential candidates and chairpersons of registered political parties on August 18, 2026, ahead of the campaigns, which began on August 19, 2026.

In his message to the NPC gathering, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said the initiative provided a good opportunity for political parties and candidates to affirm “their commitment to peaceful and transparent elections.”

However, barely 20 days into the 150-day campaign period, a series of incidents involving alleged threats, intimidation and obstruction of opposition political activities has raised concerns over the commitment to peaceful electioneering.

The attacks on opposition parties, which allegedly began with prohibitive costs of billboards, appeared to have escalated into open threats, raising concerns that the build-up to the 2027 elections could be marred by violence aimed at weakening opposition contenders.

The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday accused the All Progressives Congress and the Benue State Government of sending hired thugs to disrupt the visit of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the state.

Obi arrived in Makurdi in the company of top NDC officials and was received at the airport by the party’s governorship candidate in Benue State, Prof. Terhemba Shija, alongside its Benue North-West senatorial candidate, Terhide Utaan, and other state officials.

The Benue State Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Bem-Jabez Agile, told The Guardian by telephone that Obi and his entourage proceeded to Yelwata, the site of last year’s terrorist attack, for a condolence visit.

Agile said the delegation had planned to meet victims of the attack and donate relief materials, but encountered a crowd of thugs allegedly accompanied by the chairman of the local government council, Maurice Orwough.

He said the group blocked the road, preventing Obi and his entourage from meeting the victims.

However, the Benue State Government denied the allegation, describing it as “unfounded and a desperate attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue people into what may be an internal political matter within the Nigerian Democratic Congress.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Tersoo Kula, said the state government was unaware of the alleged incident.

“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has any idea of what Mr Obi is talking about,” Kula said.

He also questioned how a presidential candidate could enter the state without the relevant security authorities being formally notified of his arrival.

However, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiaogbu, said the police were aware of Obi’s visit.

Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Nwadiaogbu said: “Yesterday, we got the information that the presidential candidate of the NDC was coming to Yelewata today, but unfortunately, the youths are agitating that they don’t want to see a particular prominent Nigerian. We don’t know their reasons yet.”

When asked to identify the “prominent Nigerian”, the commissioner named Obi.

Despite the police confirmation that it was aware of the visit, the Benue State Government urged the public to disregard the allegation linking it to the incident.

“We urge the public to disregard the allegations linking the state government to any incident that happened around the NDC presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi,” the statement read in part.

Stakeholders warn against threats to peaceful electioneering
STAKEHOLDERS have condemned various threats against free and peaceful electioneering, warning that they could be a dangerous signal ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) told The Guardian that it was deeply concerned by the growing pattern of threats, inflammatory rhetoric and statements suggesting violence against political opponents.

Reacting to the developments, the Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the recent incidents involving political actors threatening opponents or citizens with physical punishment, alongside reports of attacks on opposition figures and political activities, should not be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric.

He said: “They represent early warning signals of possible electoral violence and require immediate, impartial and decisive intervention by security and electoral authorities. We welcome the Nigeria Police Force’s plan to investigate alleged inflammatory statements by several political actors. Both INEC and the police have publicly warned that threats and intimidation will attract sanctions.”

He added: “CISLAC strongly calls on political actors and their supporters to immediately stop attacks, intimidation, harassment and obstruction targeted at opposition politicians and their supporters. Democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere where political opponents are treated as enemies or where violence, threats and administrative restrictions are deployed to weaken legitimate political competition.

“CISLAC strongly maintains that political competition must never become a licence for violence. No political office, party interest or electoral ambition is more important than the lives and security of Nigerians. Statements threatening to kill, flog, attack or otherwise punish citizens because of their political choices are fundamentally incompatible with democratic governance.”

Prior to the Benue State incident, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru appeared to have set the tone for what to expect in his state through an alleged threat to remove any local government chairman who failed to deliver his council area to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.

Nwifuru, who issued the warning a week before the Benue incident, made the declaration while inaugurating the newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen of the state’s 13 local government areas. He said the chairmen were expected to secure victory for the APC in their respective councils, warning that those who failed would lose their positions.

“Any chairman who fails to win his council will be removed from office and replaced with a councillor,” Nwifuru said, stressing that the warning was not a private threat but a public position that should be reported openly.

“I want this information to be on the headlines of newspapers because, as politicians, we would not speak in secret,” he said, adding: “The chairmen know we would win in the state, and if they choose to sleep and allow others to take their areas, they would be removed.”

No sooner had the governor issued the threat than the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, Eze Paul Ituma, declared that opposition elements who wanted to challenge Nwifuru or reject the ruling APC should stay away from the council area.

He said Ohaukwu would have no room for individuals opposed to the governor or the APC, warning that such persons would be treated as “enemies” and declared “persona non grata” in the council area.

“Anybody who’s not thinking in that direction shouldn’t come around Ohaukwu LGA because Ohaukwu is cordoned off,” Ituma said.

The PDP in Ebonyi State has described Nwifuru’s remarks as inciting and capable of stoking political violence ahead of the 2027 general election.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Darlington Onwe, said: “The governor should apologise to Ebonyians or resign. He should retract the statement or step down because he has violated the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy.”

He added: “Section 14 of the Constitution explicitly provides that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property.”

In the same vein, politician and social commentator Nwoba Nwoba said Nwifuru’s directive might have been driven by fear of defeat.

He said: “Ebonyi Governor is sensing overwhelming defeat in the 2027 governorship election, hence his resort to violence. I’ll even be happy if he walks the talk; a state of emergency will stare him in the face. As I have said earlier, this is the first time he’ll be contesting the governorship election. This is why he’s jittery. The fear of losing out was the cause of his constant professing of violence.

“But we’re not afraid of his threats. Only the weak resort to threats when there’s nothing chasing him. Nwifuru has performed abysmally, and that’s why he’s fearsome. No governor who performed well in his first tenure will be howling like Nwifuru. It’s him versus the voting population of Ebonyians. I fear he’s setting his government up for combustion.”

He added: “As the opposition he’s been threatening, we’re not moved. We know that his garrulity is the last kick of a dying horse. We’ll face him squarely. We’re ready for him. He shouldn’t backtrack. It’s better he’s allowed to test his might lest he accuses anyone of stopping him from exerting his full wrath on democracy.

“Therefore, we’re not deterred by his threats of violence and extermination. By the time we’re set for the business of the day, he’ll understand how deep the tide is.”

Meanwhile, in Enugu, a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akpugo Ward 3, Nkanu West Local Government Area, was reportedly disrupted by gunmen allegedly associated with the ruling party.

The ward is that of the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Uche Nnaji.

Nwodo Emeka, the party’s secretary in the ward, said the party was particularly saddened that an ordinary ward meeting, where citizens had gathered peacefully to deliberate on matters concerning their party and community, could be disrupted by political violence.

Canopies, chairs and several other items brought for the meeting were shattered or destroyed by the attackers, while those attending the meeting were said to have fled to safety.

“Such actions create fear among ordinary citizens and send a dangerous message that people may be prevented from participating in democratic activities simply because of their political choices,” Emeka said.