Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, has warned Nigeria’s political class against escalating threats, intimidation and intolerance ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the country must not descend into political violence in the pursuit of power….
Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN, has warned Nigeria’s political class against escalating threats, intimidation and intolerance ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the country must not descend into political violence in the pursuit of power.
In a strongly worded intervention titled “There Are Minimum Requirements: Nigeria Must Not Descend,” the legal practitioner and policy analyst expressed concern over what he described as the growing intolerance in Nigeria’s political environment.
Ubani said political competition was gradually giving way to “political intolerance”, with threats, bullying, intimidation and open hostility becoming increasingly common in political discourse.
He cited recent developments in Ebonyi State, where a reported warning by the governor to newly sworn-in local government chairmen not to permit electoral defeat was followed by a declaration from one of the chairmen, Eze Paul Ituma of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, that he would do whatever was necessary to secure victory for his principal and party.
He said such statements, whether intended as political rhetoric or otherwise, should neither be encouraged nor normalised in a democracy.
The lawyer also expressed concern over the reported denial of entry into a state to one of the presidential contenders, questioning whether political intolerance had reached a point where opponents could be prevented from exercising their legitimate freedom to visit parts of the country.
“Are we becoming so intolerant of political opposition that we are prepared to deny our opponents even the basic freedom to visit a State in the Federation?” he asked.
Ubani recalled Nigeria’s troubled political history, including the violence of the First Republic and the incidents surrounding the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 elections, as warnings about the consequences of allowing political rivalry to degenerate into hatred and violence.
He said political opponents were entitled to disagree fiercely over policies, principles and ideology, but insisted that there must be limits to political conduct.
“An election is not a war, and a political opponent is not an enemy of the State,” he said.
According to him, the 2027 election campaigns should focus on issues, records and competing policy proposals rather than threats and intimidation.
He urged politicians seeking re-election to explain what they had achieved during their time in office, while challengers should tell Nigerians what they intended to do differently.
“Nigerians should be presented with competing ideas, policies, programmes and evidence of performance. Let those with the best argument and agenda win and let the better programme prevail. It is the people that should have the final say,” he said.
Ubani also cautioned political supporters against turning loyalty to candidates into hostility towards their opponents.
He said political mobilisation should be about persuasion rather than terror, warning that those who deliberately create political crises could eventually become victims of the violence they help unleash.
“The tragedy is that those who create political fires often imagine that they can control them. History teaches otherwise,” he said. “Once the fire starts, it does not ask which political party you belong to before consuming you.”
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations, religious leaders, traditional rulers and citizens to work towards ensuring peaceful and credible elections in 2027.
However, he placed the greater responsibility on politicians seeking power, arguing that anyone unable to tolerate political opposition was not prepared to govern in a democracy.
“If they cannot allow their opponent to speak, then they have no moral basis to demand that Nigerians should listen to them,” he said.
Ubani urged politicians to campaign vigorously, challenge one another’s records and defend their achievements, but to do so with facts and ideas rather than threats.
“We must not destroy the country in our desperate quest to govern it,” he warned.
He said Nigeria had sustained its democratic system, despite its imperfections, since 1999 and must not now fall below the minimum standards of democratic behaviour that had helped hold the country together.
“Such intolerant behaviour of intimidation, threats and bullying should be put to a stop,” Ubani said.
“This is a timely plea and a warning. Nigeria must not descend.”
