2027: Inter-Religious Leaders Warn Politicians Against Using Youths For Electoral Violence

Inter-religious leaders have cautioned politicians against using young Nigerians as instruments of violence in the 2027 general election, warning that electoral ambitions must not come at the expense of human lives.

The leaders gave the warning at the National Youth Assembly for Democratic Resilience (NYADR 2027), organised by the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria in Abuja, where 100 youth leaders from the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were sensitised on peaceful political participation and democratic accountability.

Country director and field representative of the foundation, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, said politicians must stop exposing young people, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to danger in the pursuit of political power.

“Just as every mother desires that her child should not die, our politicians must understand that the children of poor people must not die because of political support, political thuggery, ballot box snatching, or whatever form of violence that we’ve seen,” Hayab said.

He urged politicians to respect voters’ choices and allow citizens to determine their leaders through credible elections, arguing that electoral violence weakens accountability and undermines the purpose of democratic governance.

Hayab said elected officials should secure their mandates through public trust and their commitment to service rather than intimidation, manipulation or violence.

“People will choose you because they trust you. People will vote for you because they believe you will represent them. People will give you the mandate because they believe that you will go and deliver the good,” he said.

He also urged young people to resist attempts to recruit them to attack political opponents or disrupt elections, stressing that political disagreements should not lead to the destruction of property or the breakdown of community relations.

Also speaking, Muslim cleric Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid called for increased civic education to enable young Nigerians to understand electoral processes and participate meaningfully in political and decision-making activities.

He said informed citizens were better positioned to make responsible political choices and demand accountability from elected representatives.

The director of African Peace Initiative and Engagement at the foundation, Rev. Fr. Canice Chinyeaka Enyiaka, identified unemployment and economic hardship as factors that could make young people susceptible to recruitment for electoral violence.

He said politicians and other interest groups could exploit the economic vulnerability of youths by offering incentives for activities that put their lives at risk.

Enyiaka said the programme was intended to encourage young people to recognise their worth and refuse to become tools for political interests.

“We want our young people to live after the elections. We don’t want our young people to die because of election. That’s not what election is about,” he said.

He identified difficulties in accessing education, healthcare, economic opportunities and personal security as some of the challenges that could increase young people’s vulnerability to exploitation.

The cleric also cited figures indicating that more than 2,000 people died in election-related violence in Nigeria between 1999 and 2023, noting that young people constituted a significant proportion of those affected.

He called on political leaders and other stakeholders to protect citizens from election-related violence, regardless of their ethnic, religious or socioeconomic backgrounds.

Enyiaka said the foundation’s principle of “one family under God” emphasised the importance of human dignity and peaceful coexistence above political and social divisions.

The assembly forms part of the foundation’s engagement with young people ahead of the 2027 elections, with a focus on discouraging political violence and encouraging responsible participation in the democratic process.