The National Peace Committee (NPC) has warned that vote-buying, violence and insecurity pose a threat to the legitimacy of upcoming elections, including the 2027 general polls, the group said at a stakeholders’ forum in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday.
The NPC made the warning at a three-day Stakeholders’ Validation Forum organised through its secretariat, the Kukah Centre, in Ado-Ekiti.
The event was convened to promote peaceful, issue-based electoral processes ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026, and similar national election cycles that follow.
The forum reportedly received support from the European Union and involved discussions on electoral risk assessments and measures to prevent violence and other threats to credible elections.
Senior Programme Manager of the Kukah Centre, Esrom Ajanya, said the validation forum aimed to strengthen local ownership of efforts to assess electoral risks and generate practical recommendations for preventing violence around the polls.
According to Ajanya, the process includes monitoring the electoral environment and assessing security dynamics through an election security information hub designed to analyse political conditions and guide NPC engagement with stakeholders across the electoral value chain.
NPC officials said procedural compliance with electoral timetables is important, but stressed that substantive issues such as security conditions, grassroots participation and quality of political engagement must also align to safeguard election credibility.
The group highlighted concerns that vote-buying and insecurity could discourage participation and weaken public confidence in elections.
According to NPC reporting, Ajanya said, “We are building a context analysis of the political situation in Ekiti State as a basis for the National Peace Committee to engage stakeholders at various levels in the electoral process.”
He also noted that beyond procedural compliance, attention must be given to how insecurity could impact elections and grassroots engagement.
The NPC’s warning adds to national concerns about factors that could affect the credibility of elections in Nigeria.
The 2027 general elections follow a series of electoral exercises, including state governorship votes and local government polls.
Issues such as vote-buying and political violence have been identified in discussions about electoral integrity in various states.
Electoral stakeholders continue to call for proactive measures by security agencies, civil society and political actors to ensure a transparent and peaceful environment for voter participation in all election cycles.
