NOA warns election violence threatens peaceful democratic transitions
The National Orientation Agency has warned that election violence remains a major threat to peaceful democratic transitions in Nigeria.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, has described election violence as a major threat to peaceful democratic transitions. Issa-Onilu said this on Tuesday in Osogbo at a news conference tagged “Campaign Against Voter Apathy and Vote Buying: Towards a Violence-Free Election and Massive Turnout”.
He urged political stakeholders to ensure that the 15 August governorship election in Osun does not degenerate into violence, property destruction, intimidation, or a breakdown of law and order. The NOA boss also cautioned youths in the state against allowing themselves to be used as instruments of violence, political thuggery or electoral disruption.
Issa-Onilu, who was represented by the agency’s Zonal Director, Kehinde Ogunkuade, said no political ambition was worth the loss of human lives. He urged political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders to embrace issue-based campaigns, tolerance, dialogue and peaceful coexistence before, during and after the election.
Issa-Onilu decried persistent voter apathy in the country, noting that it continued to undermine democratic development. According to him, many citizens have become discouraged and believe their votes do not count, while others have lost confidence in governance and therefore abstain from elections. “We must collectively reject this attitude. Every eligible voter in Osun must understand that voting is not merely a political activity; it is a civic duty and a patriotic responsibility,” he said.
The NOA boss also warned against vote buying and selling, describing the practice as a threat to credible elections. “The exchange of votes for money or material gifts destroys the integrity of elections and weakens governance. When votes are bought, leadership becomes transactional rather than accountable to the people,” he said.
He further urged the electorate to recognise that temporary financial gains from vote selling could not outweigh the long-term consequences of poor governance, including inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, insecurity and weak social services.
This echoes the 2019 and 2023 election cycles, when violence and voter apathy marred the electoral process. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: elections that fail to reflect the will of the people.
The winners: none. The losers: Nigerian democracy, which suffers from violence and voter apathy; and the people of Osun, who deserve a peaceful and credible election.
Bottom Line: The NOA is warning against election violence in Osun. The message is clear: no ambition is worth bloodshed. The question is whether politicians will listen.