Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has issued a warning to political actors across the country against inciting violence ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying Nigeria could not afford to repeat the bloodshed that had characterized previous electoral cycles and that no Nigerian deserved to lose their life to the ambitions of politicians.
In a statement issued to mark the 2026 Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Bamidele cited data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project showing that Nigeria lost 1,639 lives to electoral violence between 1999 and 2023. He provided a breakdown of the toll: 80 deaths in 1999, 100 in 2003, 300 in 2007, 800 in 2011, 100 in 2015, 150 in 2019, and 109 in 2023. He said the cumulative cost of electoral violence was too heavy for the country to continue bearing and that it must end now.
He called on all political actors to conduct themselves within the bounds of the law and to place national peace above partisan interests as the country entered the electioneering season ahead of elections scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, also issued a message marking the Eid holiday, calling on Nigerians to embrace peace, sacrifice, and national unity. She described Eid-el-Kabir as a season of reflection and compassion, saying its lessons should inspire both leaders and citizens to place service, accountability, and human dignity above personal interests.
