ViolenceLinus Aleke in Abuja
The Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN) has called for an actionable, multi-stakeholder peace agenda to translate the National Peace Accord into concrete measures to prevent electoral violence.The group stressed that the call comes amid growing concerns over political violence, threats to peaceful participation and compliance with electoral peace commitments ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.According to a statement by CORN West Africa’s Executive Director, Dr. Obinna Chukwuezie, the measures were proposed during a policy webinar convened by the organisation, titled ‘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 gaps between political commitments to peaceful elections and the practical measures required to ensure compliance, accountability and peaceful participation throughout the electoral cycle.”With the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027 and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for 6 February 2027, participants stressed the urgency of moving beyond ceremonial commitments to sustained action towards electoral peace,” the statement said.The group noted that signing a Peace Accord, while important, does not automatically prevent political intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric, misinformation, hate speech or violence against candidates and their supporters.Professor Babayo Sule of CORN West Africa argued that electoral peace must be approached as a continuous process rather than an event centred on the signing of peace agreements.He proposed a National Electoral Compact that would bring together political parties, electoral institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels.The proposed framework, he said, would support early warning, rapid response, civic awareness, issue-based campaigning and credible mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.Research Analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), Dengiyefa Angalapu, emphasised the importance of evidence-driven interventions, urging civil society organisations to systematically document patterns of electoral violence, strengthen engagement with political parties and electoral institutions at the subnational level, and advocate the consistent enforcement of existing laws.CDD-West Africa’s monthly Nigeria Election Security Tracker, produced through the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme, is one example of this approach.”It records election-related incidents, broader insecurity, and misinformation, disinformation and hate speech narratives, drawing on election security reporters and fact-checkers in Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau,” he revealed.He also highlighted growing concerns over online attacks targeting women candidates, noting their potential to undermine women’s political participation.The discussion further examined the limitations of voluntary peace agreements in the absence of effective compliance and enforcement mechanisms.Retired Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni emphasised that the National Peace Accord should complement, rather than replace, existing legal, institutional and security frameworks.Participants also underscored the responsibility of political parties, candidates, security institutions, the media and citizens to prevent violence, document violations and demand accountability, irrespective of political affiliation.A member of CORN West Africa and moderator of the webinar, Dr. Timipere Felix Allison, said “Peaceful elections cannot be secured by signatures alone. They require sustained commitment, vigilance, accountability and coordinated action by all electoral stakeholders, from the national level to our communities.”