2027: Political Leaders Must Reject Violence, Hate Speech – CSOs

Ahead of next Saturday’s Osun state governorship and 2027 general election, a civil society organisation, the Polling Unit Ambassadors of Nigeria (PUAN), has urged political leaders to de-escalate political tensions, reject violence and hate speech and promote peaceful participation ahead of future elections.
The Ambassador-General of the group, Captain Dabas Suleiman, made during the official unveiling of the PUAN platform in Abuja.

He said political parties and their supporters must respect democratic rules and promote peace.

“To political leaders, we call on you to de-escalate tensions, reject violence and hate speech,” he said.
Suleiman said democracy should not be left in the hands of politicians or government alone, stressing that citizens had a major role to play in strengthening the country’s democratic institutions.

“The future of Nigerian democracy cannot be left to technology alone. It cannot be left to politicians alone. It cannot be left to government alone and democracy is everybody’s business,” he stated.
The PUAN Ambassador-General urged Nigerians to move from being spectators to active participants in the democratic process.

“Let us move from spectators to participants, from participation to responsibility, from responsibility to accountability and from accountability to a stronger democracy,” he said.

Suleiman also called on citizens to demand accountability from the government over public projects and development initiatives in their communities.

He said citizens should be able to question authorities on projects ranging from rural roads and health centres to schools, water infrastructure and major federal interventions.

Suleiman stressed that demanding accountability should not be interpreted as confrontation but as responsible citizenship.

“This is not about confrontation. It is about responsible citizenship and constructive accountability,” he said.

Suleiman called on government institutions, electoral stakeholders, political parties, civil society organisations, development partners, traditional institutions, community leaders, the media and citizens to work together to strengthen democracy.

Suleiman said platforms should be used to bring citizens closer to the democratic process and promote fact-based civic engagement.

The secretary-general of PUAN, Ambassador Osa Osagie said the organisation is focused on promoting the integrity of elections by ensuring that activities at polling units were open to public scrutiny.

He said every election started at the polling unit and that the conduct of activities there had a major impact on the credibility of the entire electoral process.

He said PUAN would deploy platforms to increase participation and expose activities taking place at polling units.

According to him, the initiative would enable the public to see what was happening at polling units and ensure that the voice and choices of voters counted.

“The people’s voice and the people’s choice count at the polling unit,” he said.

Osagie said the initiative would also help expose alleged electoral malpractice, including ballot box snatching and manipulation at polling units.

“For the first time, we are deploying technology to the Osun state election, for instance, so that all the dark spots in the polling units, for the first time, should be eliminated,” he said.

Osagie said PUAN planned to have representatives in polling units across Osun state and eventually throughout Nigeria to monitor electoral activities.

In his keynote address, Professor Michael Abiodun called on political leaders to reject violence and hate speech.

He also urged the judiciary to maintain public confidence by ensuring that justice was administered independently.

“To the judiciary, you are the last line of defence for our democracy. The public must never perceive you as a tool in the hands of politicians. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” he said.

He also urged citizens to remain vigilant and hold political leaders accountable beyond election periods.