The National Peace Committee (NPC) has cautioned President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and other key political leaders against deploying inflammatory language and inciting violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a joint statement issued on Monday by NPC Chairman General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) and Convener Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, the committee expressed deep concern over a sharp rise in electoral infractions following the signing of the Peace Accord on August 18.
The NPC reminded all political actors that the accord is a binding public commitment to peaceful, issue-based politics, rather than a mere ceremonial ritual.
Data compiled by the committee’s Election Security Information Hub revealed 60 election-related violations between August 19 and September 19. Misinformation and disinformation accounted for the largest share at 40 percent (24 cases), followed by political disruptions and attacks on assets at 21.7 percent (13 cases).
Additional infractions included political intimidation (10 cases), violence and thuggery (6 cases), and inflammatory statements (4 cases), alongside isolated incidents of voter inducement, intra-party friction, and media censorship.In response to the growing tensions, the NPC urged political parties to rein in their supporters and halt deceptive communications immediately.
The panel called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly enforce the Electoral Act 2026, while demanding that law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, conduct swift, impartial investigations into political violence and electoral crimes to safeguard public confidence ahead of the 2027 polls.
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