By Olugbenga Salami
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has cautioned politicians against inciting violence ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying no Nigerian life should be lost over political ambition.
In an Eid-el-Kabir message issued Wednesday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele said the season should be used to renew commitment to peace, unity and national prosperity.
He declared that no Nigerian, young or old, “deserves to die again because some people are seeking political offices by all means” in the polls slated for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
The Senate Leader urged political actors and institutions to obey the law and shun actions that could trigger violence before, during and after the elections.
Citing figures from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, Bamidele said Nigeria lost 1,639 lives to electoral violence between 1999 and 2023.
He gave the breakdown: 80 deaths in 1999, 100 in 2003, 300 in 2007, 800 in 2011, 100 in 2015, 150 in 2019, and 109 in 2023.
“The cost of electoral violence is too much for us as a federation to bear. It must come to an end now,” he stated.
Bamidele said Prophet Ibrahim’s virtues of faith, obedience and sacrifice are more relevant now that the country has entered the electioneering period.
“Regardless of our political parties, we must approach the campaign, indeed the 2027 elections, with the resolve that Nigeria is our collective heritage,” he said.
He noted that most registered political parties have concluded their primaries and produced candidates for various offices, appealing to candidates and parties to play by the rules and conduct their activities in line with extant laws to prevent loss of life.
Bamidele also used the occasion to seek prayers for children, parents and teachers still held by bandits and kidnappers across the country, especially the 87 pupils and teachers recently abducted in Borno and Oyo States.
“Holding these children in captivity is a breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children,” he said.
The Senate Leader assured that security agencies are working to secure the release of the victims and reunite them with their families.
He noted that the 2026 Eid-el-Kabir coincides with International Children’s Day, and condemned “few rogue elements” trying to create uncertainty and division in the country.
At the National Assembly, Bamidele said lawmakers remain committed to strengthening safety and security, even in remote communities.
“We are also committed to strengthening our social security system to meet the needs and aspirations of our teeming young population,” he stated.
He pledged that the legislature will put in place stronger sanctions against kidnappers and their collaborators.
“For us, kidnapping in all its ramifications is a crime against humanity, and it must be treated as such,” Bamidele assured.
The Senate Leader extended Eid-el-Kabir greetings to Muslim faithful nationwide and urged them to emulate Prophet Ibrahim’s example of faith, obedience and total submission to God.
