2027: What Nigeria must do to stop post-election violence – Pro-democracy activist

Pro-democracy activist Udenta O. Udenta has proposed the establishment of the Sovereign Commission for Democratic Sustainability and National Stability to prevent political tensions and prevent elections from triggering national crises in Nigeria in 2027.

In a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, Mr Udenta, a professor, argued that the challenge ahead of the 2027 general election was beyond having a new president; the focus should instead be on preventing post-election violence.

There were 24 deaths from 230 cases of electoral violence during the 2023 general elections, according to a report by a civil society organisation, Kimpact Development Initiative.

There have been incidents of pre-election violence across states in Nigeria as the country prepares for the 2027 general election.

But Mr Udenta stressed that the trend can be reversed if Nigeria prioritises national unity and democratic stability over individual political ambitions by setting up the commission to address the issue ahead of the forthcoming 2027 polls.

The professor, a founding national secretary of the now-defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), contended that “elections cannot, by themselves, build trust or guarantee stability,” adding that the main question was “what becomes of the nation the day after.”

Mr Udenta maintained that “Nigeria’s survival must matter more than the fortunes of any politician,” emphasising that “Nigeria is not” temporary.

How the proposed commission should function 

According to him, the proposed commission should bring together the current President Bola Tinubu, the incoming president if newly elected, all presidential candidates, national leaders and chairmen of political parties.

He added that the commission should also bring together leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and civil society representatives.

Mr Udenta said the initiative must be designed as a practical platform for dialogue rather than “another committee of former public office holders or political elders issuing communiqués that gather dust.”

On how to prevent post-election violence, the professor proposed seven pre-election commitments that all political parties and their presidential candidates should make, including a commitment to participate in the commission’s process regardless of the electoral outcome.

He said membership of the commission should be based on “one’s status as a presidential candidate”.

More proposals

Mr Udenta also proposed inclusion of a commitment by the winner to convene the commission after the election, establish an 18-month government of national unity based on competence, and pursue reforms to reduce the “winner-takes-all” nature of presidential politics in the country.

The activist also proposed more reforms including legislation for audited public funding of eligible political parties, proportional executive representation, a national dialogue on an afrocentric democratic model and the restoration of cabinet-level special advisers for inter-party matters and civil society relations.

On political party financing, he referenced Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania as countries with public subsidy arrangements for political parties. 

Mr Udenta argued that transparent funding tied to verified electoral thresholds would “reduce parties’ dependence on wealthy patrons, encourage stronger organisation and help credible opposition parties survive between elections”.

He maintained that such funding must be governed by disclosure requirements, independent audits and penalties for abuse, rather than left to the discretion of the ruling party.

The professor also outlined a timeline for the proposed commission, calling for all presidential candidates to “jointly urge calm and direct disputes through lawful channels” within 72 hours of the declaration of election results. 

He proposed that the commission should hold its first formal meeting within 30 days and publish substantive recommendations within 100 days, requiring a public response from the president.

Mr Udenta warned against confusing national stability with the suppression of dissent, arguing that “a stable country is not one in which citizens are afraid to speak.”

According to him, genuine democratic stability requires citizens to disagree peacefully, journalists to investigate without intimidation, courts to operate without political interference and peaceful protests not to be criminalised as treason.

He also insisted that opposition parties must retain their freedom to criticise the government.

“A voter who supported the losing candidate does not become less Nigerian when the results are announced,” he said.

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Stronger federating units 

Beyond electoral reforms, Mr Udenta called for stronger federating units and subnational institutions to reduce the concentration of power and resources at the centre. 

He argued that excessive centralisation makes control of the federal government “an all-or-nothing political contest.”

He further advocated a political culture organised around ideas and policy alternatives rather than ethnic affiliations and entrenched political interests, envisioning a “national political geography not of ethnicities but of ideological persuasions”.

The professor said he had begun consultations with citizens across civil society, academia and the political spectrum to advance the proposal, while urging voters to hold political aspirants accountable before they assume office.

“My generation has seen military rule, democratic transitions and the rise and decline of political parties,” he said.

 “We have learned that no individual is indispensable. Nigeria is. We must leave our children a country in which winning an election brings responsibility, losing one does not mean political extinction, and every citizen remains part of the republic,” Mr Udenta added.

The professor urged Nigerian political leaders to help build democracy that belongs to the whole country rather than preserving a system in which every election threatens to divide it.

“Only our collective commitment to the national interest can determine whether Nigeria endures and thrives,” he stated.