BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

The National Assembly has condemned the growing incidents of political violence across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Senate demanding the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators, while the House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the attacks.

The lawmakers expressed concern over the increasing disruption of political meetings, rallies and processions, warning that the trend poses a threat to public safety, democratic participation and the credibility of the forthcoming elections.

Speaking with Vanguard on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), said the Senate supported President Bola Tinubu’s call for peace and national harmony.

“President Bola Tinubu is preaching peace and national harmony, the National Assembly is in support of Mr President on this. We thus condemn in totality any act of political violence and urge the security agents to apprehend whoever is culpable in such heinous act,” he said.

Similarly, the House of Representatives adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Fred Agbedi, alongside 16 other lawmakers, expressing concern over attacks on political gatherings in different parts of the country.

Presenting the motion during plenary, Agbedi condemned violence, intimidation, assault and destruction of property associated with political rallies, meetings, processions and other lawful political activities, irrespective of the political parties or individuals affected.

He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to reject inflammatory rhetoric, discourage violence and cooperate with security agencies to maintain public order.

Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Minority Leader reminded lawmakers that Nigerians have the constitutional right to assemble freely and associate with others, including the freedom to form or belong to political parties.

He also invoked the constitutional provision that makes the security and welfare of citizens the primary responsibility of government, stressing the need to protect Nigerians participating in legitimate political activities.

Agbedi consequently urged the House to exercise its investigative powers under Section 88(1) of the Constitution to examine the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the conduct of relevant public authorities responsible for enforcing the law.

Series of Attacks Raise Concern

To underscore the growing threat, the lawmaker cited several incidents of political violence recorded in different states.

In Katsina State, supporters of the All Progressives Congress travelling to attend a campaign flag-off in Funtua were reportedly attacked along the Yashi-Funtua route in October. A female party member sustained injuries, vehicles were damaged, and the police subsequently announced the arrest of 14 suspects.

In Enugu State, political meetings were reportedly disrupted on September 12, 2026, with the police confirming that two attendees were injured, while one person was allegedly killed.

The lawmaker also recalled the November 4 attack on an APC rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where several people reportedly sustained injuries.

In Cross River State, the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was attacked in Calabar on November 4, 2026. The police confirmed damage to vehicles and announced the arrest of a suspect, while investigations continued.

Another incident occurred on November 7, 2026, when one person was reportedly killed and five others injured during an attack on a political procession and rally organised by NDC supporters along Nnebisi Road in Asaba, Delta State.

Agbedi warned that continued attacks, intimidation and destruction of property could result in further casualties and discourage citizens from participating in legitimate political activities.

He further cautioned that an atmosphere of fear and insecurity could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The Minority Leader, however, emphasised that allegations of responsibility for the incidents must be established through impartial, thorough and evidence-based investigations.

Following deliberations, the House constituted an ad-hoc committee headed by its Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, to investigate the immediate and underlying causes of politically motivated violence and submit its findings within three weeks.

The committee comprises the House Leader, Minority Leader, chairmen and deputy chairmen of the House Committees on Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence, alongside two additional members drawn from the committees.

EU Rules Out Sanctions, Pledges Support for Electoral Process

Meanwhile, the European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s electoral process and strengthening the capacity of relevant stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections, while clarifying that imposing sanctions on Nigerian political actors over electoral violence is not its responsibility.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, made the clarification during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.

Mignot said the EU’s responsibility was to support democratic institutions, empower stakeholders and provide platforms for dialogue and recommendations rather than assume the role of Nigerian authorities.

He explained that an event on political violence organised by the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja, with EU support, was part of efforts to provide a platform for discussing the problem and developing recommendations.

“Our role is to support the process, support the stakeholders, empower them, and this is what we are doing,” he said.

The ambassador stressed that international partners should complement Nigeria’s democratic institutions rather than dictate how the country’s political and electoral affairs should be managed.

He disclosed that the EU was also supporting civil society organisations to deploy 5,500 election observers during the 2027 polls.

According to him, the EU recently organised an exercise with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organisations to simulate responses to misinformation, particularly information manipulated through artificial intelligence.

The exercise was designed to assess how relevant stakeholders could identify and respond to emerging threats to the electoral process.

Mignot also dismissed expectations that the EU should impose sanctions on individual Nigerian political actors over inflammatory statements or alleged electoral misconduct, describing such demands as misplaced.

He explained that the sanctions imposed on Russia over its war against Ukraine were based on an entirely different international context and could not be equated with incidents of domestic political violence in Nigeria.

The ambassador reiterated that the EU would continue to provide technical support, advice and recommendations to Nigerian institutions and stakeholders, while respecting the country’s sovereignty.

The National Assembly’s intervention and the EU’s renewed commitment come as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, with growing calls for stronger security measures, accountability and peaceful political engagement to prevent further violence.

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