The Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOT!ON), ActionHelp Nigeria and different civil society organisations have condemned the rising assaults on opposition politicians and their supporters, warning that Nigeria can’t have credible elections in 2027 with out guaranteeing political freedom and the best to organise.
The organisations expressed concern over the October 30 violent incident involving Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, and the November 4 assault on the convoy of Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Calabar, Cross River State.
In a joint assertion signed by the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOT!ON), ActionHelp Nigeria, CentreLSD and the Abuja School of Political and Social Thoughts and issued in Abuja on Thursday, the teams described the incidents, alongside the reported obstruction of Obi’s motion in Benue State and assaults involving African Democratic Congress (ADC) members in Sokoto, as indicators of a rising risk to democratic participation.
“We must not wait until Nigerians are killed or elections are disrupted before recognising the danger,” the organisations warned.
According to the assertion, Sowore and members of his crew sustained accidents and had been hospitalised following a violent confrontation in Ado-Ekiti, ensuing within the arrest of 11 suspects.
The teams additionally famous that Sowore had alleged the involvement of government-linked actors and safety personnel, urging authorities to analyze the claims totally.
In Calabar, suspected attackers reportedly armed with harmful objects broken autos in Obi’s convoy, with the police confirming an arrest.
While acknowledging the arrests, the organisations insisted that investigations should establish not solely the direct perpetrators but in addition any people or teams who might have sponsored, financed or facilitated the assaults.
“The responsibility of the government does not end with apprehending those physically involved,” the assertion stated, calling for investigations into potential official complicity and failures by safety personnel to forestall the violence.
The teams additionally accused the police of failing to adequately defend political gatherings, citing Sections 95 to 97 of the Electoral Act 2026.
They argued that the safety of democratic rights should transcend permitting political events to subject candidates throughout elections.
“An election is not free merely because several candidates appear on the ballot paper,” the assertion famous.
“It must also be possible for those candidates to travel, organise meetings, address communities, challenge the government and mobilise supporters without violence or intimidation.”
The organisations warned that political violence threatens the basic rights of Nigerians to make impartial electoral decisions.
“Political violence does not only attack candidates. It attacks the people’s ability to choose,” they declared.
The teams additional warned that the rising ambiance of intimidation might undermine voter participation within the 2027 normal elections, notably amid financial hardship, insecurity and declining public confidence in democratic establishments.
Citing the National Voting Intentions Survey (NVIS 3.0) launched by Yiaga Africa, they stated 84 per cent of Nigerians indicated that they had been possible or very more likely to vote in 2027, whereas 61 per cent recognized worry of violence as an element that might forestall them from voting.
They additionally referenced the National Peace Committee’s reported document of 60 election-related incidents between August 19 and September 19, 2026, together with intimidation, threats and assaults on political actions.
According to the organisations, the incidents symbolize greater than remoted political disagreements.
“We are confronting a serious institutional test of whether Nigerian democracy can protect political competition against intimidation, impunity and the possible partisan misuse of coercive power,” they acknowledged.
The teams emphasised that defending the democratic rights of opposition politicians doesn’t imply endorsing their political programmes or abandoning authentic criticism of their political positions.
They particularly famous that the rights of Sowore, Obi, Atiku Abubakar and different opposition figures should be protected no matter their political affiliations.
“The constitutional freedoms of expression, assembly, association and movement are not privileges granted by incumbent governments. They are rights that public institutions are established to uphold,” the assertion added.
The organisations outlined 5 calls for to deal with political intimidation and defend democratic participation forward of the 2027 elections.
They referred to as on the Inspector-General of Police to make sure complete investigations into the Ekiti and Calabar assaults, together with potential sponsors, financiers, organisers and public officers who might have been concerned.
They additionally demanded the preservation of CCTV recordings, communications, medical stories and eyewitness accounts, alongside common public updates on the investigations.
The teams urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governors, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure the political neutrality of safety establishments.
“Protection must not depend on loyalty to the governing party,” they declared.
They additional referred to as on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by way of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), to determine clear procedures for safeguarding political conferences, marketing campaign actions and entry to lawful venues.
The National Human Rights Commission and civil society organisations had been additionally urged to watch violations in opposition to opposition candidates, political organisers, protesters and affected communities.
Additionally, all political events, together with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition events, had been urged to reject the mobilisation, financing or safety of violent teams.
Beyond authorities intervention, the organisations referred to as on commerce unions, scholar organisations, skilled our bodies, group associations and civil society teams to withstand the normalisation of political violence.
They urged Nigerians to doc credible incidents, protect proof, assist victims and demand accountability whereas defending the rights of individuals with opposing political opinions.
“We must reject the dangerous idea that violence against a political opponent is acceptable simply because we disagree with that opponent,” the assertion stated.
It added that defending democracy was a collective duty that prolonged past politicians to abnormal residents whose rights and future had been at stake.
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