Editorial
With less than four months to the general elections in January, 2027, last week’s reported violent clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress(APC)and the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC) in Delta State, which left several people injured, was a troubling reminder of how quickly politics can turn bloody in Nigeria. While details of that specific incident are still emerging, the images and testimonies that followed are familiar.
Sadly, that incident does not stand alone. From ward meetings that end in brawls to campaign convoys that provoke reprisal attacks, similar reports have filtered in from other parts of the country. With a few months to the general elections, the political temperature is already rising dangerously. If unchecked now, these early skirmishes may blossom into a full-blown crisis in 2027.
We must be clear about what is at stake. Political violence does not just injure bodies ; it injures democracy itself. It scares away credible candidates, silences ordinary voters, especially women and young people, and convinces many that votes do not count and that only violence does. Every clash erodes the legitimacy of whatever outcome eventually emerges at the ballot box.
Why does this cycle persist? Part of the answer lies in the way politics is still practised as a do-or-die enterprise. When access to public office is seen as the sole route to economic security, supporters are mobilized not as citizens but as foot soldiers. Poverty, unemployment, and the entrenched use of political thugs combine with weak internal party discipline to create a combustible mix. The impunity that follows past violence assures perpetrators that nothing will happen.
The first responsibility, therefore, rests squarely on the political parties themselves. The APC, NDC, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Labour Party (LP), and all others must go beyond perfunctory press statements condemning violence. They must educate, restrain, and, where necessary, sanction their own supporters. Party leaders who use inflammatory language on podiums and on social media should know they are lighting fires they may not be able to put out. A signed public peace accord at state and national levels, with clear codes of conduct, should not wait until January 2027.
The second responsibility belongs to the state institutions mandated to protect democracy. The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),the police, the Department of State (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC) must act early and impartially,too. Intelligence should be used to prevent violence, not just to report it. Investigations must be swift and prosecutions visible. When security agencies are seen to take sides, they lose the moral authority to keep peace.
Third, we must confront the particular vulnerability of our youths. Too many young Nigerians are recruited into so-called support groups with little political education and small financial inducement. Traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, and the National Orientation Agency(NOA) must invest in sustained grassroots sensitization that voting is not war. Skills, programmes, and credible alternatives matter, but so does a moral message that no political office is worth the blood of a neighbour.
Fourth is the role of the media and the new digital public square. An editorial page can preach peace, but if headlines sensationalize clashes and online platforms amplify fake news and ethnic profiling, violence will spread faster. Media houses should adopt conflict-sensitive reporting, avoiding labels that stereotype entire parties or communities. Social media influencers aligned with parties must be told that incitement, even online, has real-world consequences.
De-escalation requires practical steps now, not sermons later. Nigerian Horn proposes three immediate actions. One, all registered parties in Nigeria should convene joint peace meetings with their youths’ wings. Two, the police should publish hotlines for political threats and act on them. Three, INEC and the National Peace Committee should extend their monitoring framework to the pre-campaign period because peace can not be an afterthought.
The 2027 general election can be a turning point. Nigeria has conducted elections since 1999 that have been flawed but largely avoided national collapse.
With a larger youths’ population, a more aware electorate, and reforms to the electoral process, we have reason to expect better. But better will not happen by accident. If we allow supporters to settle political differences with weapons today, we are rehearsing tragedy for the federation tomorrow. Now is the time to step back from the brink.
