2027: Abdulsalami, Kukah Committee Raises The Alarm Over 60 Incidents, Demands Compliance

The National Peace Committee (NPC) has expressed concerns over 60 election-related incidents across Nigeria following the signing of the first National Peace Accord for the 2027 electoral cycle.

It urged political parties, candidates and security agencies to strengthen their commitment to peaceful and lawful political activities.

The incidents, recorded by the committee’s Election Security Information (ESI) Hub between August 19 and September 19, 2026, included misinformation and disinformation; attacks and disruptions affecting political activities and assets; political intimidation and threats; political violence; thuggery; and inflammatory statements.

The NPC, in a statement issued to journalists yesterday in Abuja, said several of the incidents were contrary to the commitments by political actors under the National Peace Accord signed on August 18.

The statement was signed by the chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, and the committee’s convener, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The committee said misinformation and disinformation constituted the largest category of incidents, accounting for 24 cases, or 40 per cent of the total recorded incidents.

Attacks and disruptions affecting political activities and assets accounted for 13 incidents, representing 21.7 per cent, while political intimidation and threats, including incidents involving security personnel, accounted for 10 cases, or 16.7 per cent.

Political violence and thuggery accounted for six incidents, representing 10 per cent, while inflammatory statements made up four cases, or 6.7 per cent.

The committee said restrictions on freedom of expression, intra-party conflicts, and voter inducement accounted for one incident each, representing 1.7 per cent of the total.

The NPC said the findings indicated deviations from the peaceful and issue-based campaigns envisaged under the National Peace Accord.

It warned that such developments could restrict political participation, undermine public confidence in the electoral process and heighten tensions as political competition intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The National Peace Accord is a solemn public commitment, not a ceremonial declaration,” the committee said.

The NPC called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intensify prompt, impartial and evidence-driven investigations into electoral offences and political violence.

It demanded equal protection for all political parties and candidates and urged security agencies to communicate the outcomes of investigations transparently, where legally permissible.

The committee further called for investigations to go beyond individuals arrested at the scenes of incidents to those who organise, finance or sponsor unlawful activities.

It also urged security personnel to remain neutral and professional throughout the electoral process.

On the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the NPC called for stronger monitoring of political campaigns and compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and other applicable regulations governing political parties and campaign activities.

The committee urged INEC to take appropriate regulatory action within its mandate where breaches are identified and promptly refer suspected criminal violations to relevant law enforcement agencies.

Political parties, candidates and their supporters were also urged to stop the spread of false, inflammatory or inciting communications.

The NPC called on political actors to verify information before publication, uphold their commitments under the Peace Accord and actively prevent their supporters from engaging in unlawful conduct, intimidation or disruption.

The committee also urged citizens and civil society organisations to resolve political disagreements through established legal and democratic mechanisms rather than retaliation or threats.

It called on civil society organisations, traditional and religious institutions, the media and social media platforms to sustain civic education and efforts to counter false information.

The NPC said every candidate should be able to campaign peacefully, every political party should be able to organise lawfully, and every citizen should be able to make a political choice without intimidation or coercion.

The committee said its Election Security Information Hub would continue to monitor and verify election-related incidents, share its findings with relevant authorities and publish periodic updates as the 2027 electoral cycle progresses.