A United Nations envoy and the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, have called for stronger measures to prevent electoral violence in Nigeria, warning against the weaponisation of economic hardship, misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made during a meeting between the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Leonardo Santos Simão, and Ochogwu in Abuja, where they discussed Nigeria’s electoral preparedness and strategies for ensuring peaceful political participation before, during and after the elections.
Simão, who is in Nigeria on a working visit for a pre-election assessment, engaged key stakeholders on emerging threats to electoral stability and the need to strengthen early-warning, prevention and response mechanisms.
The discussions focused on political violence, election-related tensions, misinformation, disinformation and the growing influence of technology in shaping political narratives.
Ochogwu expressed confidence in Nigeria’s institutional capacity to prevent and manage election-related violence, noting that the security agencies, military and intelligence services possessed the capability to contain threats and prevent isolated incidents from escalating.
He, however, stressed the need to strengthen preventive mechanisms to ensure political tensions did not degenerate into violence.
The IPCR director-general identified the “de-weaponisation of hunger” as a major priority, warning against attempts by political actors to exploit economic hardship for partisan mobilisation.
He noted that opposition parties could leverage inflation and the rising cost of living to mobilise public anger against the government.
Ochogwu urged the government to acknowledge the economic difficulties confronting citizens and sustain interventions to alleviate their impact.
He warned that the politicisation of economic hardship could deepen social tensions and turn legitimate grievances into instruments of political conflict.
The IPCR chief also raised concerns over the increasing use of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, particularly on social media and through emerging technologies.
He said technological advancement had created opportunities for manipulating public opinion through fabricated information, misleading narratives and potentially foreign-influenced content capable of escalating political tensions.
He called on political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and technology platforms to remain vigilant and prevent digital spaces from becoming tools for electoral destabilisation.
Ochogwu further warned that tensions between established authority, traditional political structures and democratic values could be exploited to undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.
He urged political parties to embrace conciliatory politics, restraint and accommodation of competing interests, cautioning against rhetoric that portrays political competition as a zero-sum contest.
According to him, both ruling and opposition parties have a responsibility to maintain a peaceful political environment and ensure their supporters refrain from inflammatory statements and violence.
He stressed that the responsibility for democratic stability extended beyond election day, noting that political competition should give way to governance, reconciliation and national development after the polls.
The meeting forms part of broader consultations by the UN representative with Nigerian stakeholders to assess preparedness for the 2027 general elections and identify measures to strengthen peaceful political participation.
The engagement underscored the importance of early intervention, responsible political communication and collaboration among government institutions, political parties, security agencies, civil society and international partners in safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic process.
