By Blessing Elo Oghene
The Country Director of Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has warned politicians against exploiting economically disadvantaged youths to perpetrate electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Hayab gave the warning at the National Youth Assembly for Democratic Resilience (NYADR 2027), organised by the foundation in Abuja, where 100 youth leaders from the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory were urged to reject political thuggery and promote peaceful elections.
He stressed that politicians must not sacrifice the lives of young Nigerians for political ambitions, ballot box snatching or other forms of electoral violence.
“Just as every mother desires that her child should not die, our politicians must understand that the children of poor people must not die because of political support, political thuggery, ballot box snatching, or whatever form of violence that we’ve seen,” Hayab said.
He urged political leaders to earn the trust of voters through good governance and service delivery rather than intimidation, while encouraging young people to resist attempts to recruit them into violent political activities.
Also speaking, the Director of African Peace Initiative and Engagement at the foundation, Rev. Fr. Canice Chinyeaka Enyiaka, identified unemployment and economic hardship as factors that make young Nigerians vulnerable to political exploitation.
Enyiaka emphasised that elections should not cost young people their lives, urging stakeholders to prioritise their safety during the electoral process.
“We want our young people to live after the elections. We don’t want our young people to die because of election. That’s not what election is about,” he said.
He cited figures indicating that more than 2,000 people died in election-related violence in Nigeria between 1999 and 2023, calling for stronger measures to protect citizens irrespective of their social or economic backgrounds.
In his remarks, Muslim cleric Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid urged young Nigerians to reject vote-buying and religious manipulation, stressing that electoral decisions should be based on candidates’ competence, policies and ideas rather than financial inducements or religious affiliations.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, represented by Dr. Beji Gowal, called for increased youth participation in governance and reforms to address financial barriers preventing young people from contesting political offices.
The speakers urged Nigerian youths to demand accountability from political leaders and resist attempts to exploit their economic challenges and social differences for electoral gains ahead of the 2027 general elections.
