Former Kaduna Lawmaker Urges Restraint as 2027 Election Campaigns Begin, Warns Against Political Violence

 

By Aliyu Ibrahim, Kaduna 

As the countdown to Nigeria's 2027 general elections gathers pace, some politicians and individuals have stepped up calls on political parties fielding candidates to refrain from all acts capable of heating up the polity, particularly violent clashes between supporters of rival camps across the country.

A former Kaduna State lawmaker, Hon. Muhammad Ali, made the call while baring his mind on the issue in an interview with journalists in Kaduna.

He prevailed upon security agencies and relevant stakeholders in the electioneering process to rise to the task by taking necessary measures against volatile activities by political party supporters, to ensure sanity is maintained in electioneering campaigns before, during and after the elections.

Hon. Muhammad Ali, who served as former Minority Leader of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, stressed that it is high time security agencies and institutions involved acted fast, noting that electioneering campaign activities have already kicked off amid what he described as a lot of desperation from politicians willing to make it at all costs by engaging political thugs to do their bidding — a development he warned will not augur well for the polity, peace and wellbeing of the populace.

According to him, even the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar has started giving warning signals, advocating a sense of restraint from the leadership of political parties on the need to call their supporters to order and refrain from acts that could degenerate into violent clashes with opponents' supporters, including carrying dangerous weapons to campaign arenas.

He further explained that since politics is all about bargaining and compromise — devoid of fighting each other — he holds the view that any politician found wanting in flouting the basic standards of campaigns should be disqualified and made to face the full wrath of the law, to serve as a deterrent to those who may harbour such negative tendencies, for the successful conduct of the forthcoming general elections in the country.