National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Interim National Working Committee, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, urged President Bola Tinubu in Abuja to act urgently to curb rising political tension and violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that the country could slip into crisis if the situation worsens.
Speaking at a press conference, Turaki presented a statement titled “The Country Is Boiling; Can We Reduce the Temperature?” and warned that attacks on opposition politicians, voter intimidation and eroding confidence in electoral institutions were threatening the credibility of the upcoming polls.
The PDP interim committee accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of shrinking political space, encouraging attacks on opposition parties and using the judiciary to undermine competition. Turaki cited Yiaga Africa’s third National Voting Intentions Survey released on 7 October 2026, which showed that 84 % of Nigerians were willing to vote but 61 % feared violence could keep them away from polling stations; only 34 % expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while 63 % had little or no confidence in the judiciary’s ability to resolve electoral disputes fairly.
He pointed to alleged attacks on supporters of Peter Obi, the ADC presidential campaign of Atiku Abubakar and activist Omoyele Sowore in Delta, Sokoto and Ekiti states, accusing APC‑linked operatives of being behind the incidents and alleging that some public officials threatened voters with displacement if they failed to back the APC. Turaki warned that an electoral victory secured through intimidation would be a “pyrrhic victory” that would not win the soul of the people.
“Nigeria is bigger than anybody and the ambition of any individual. We must appreciate that this country must survive for you to become whatever you want to become… You may win at the end of the day, but it may end up being a pyrrhic victory. You win, but you have not won the soul of the people.”
Turaki called on Tinubu to publicly condemn political violence, ensure investigation and prosecution of those implicated in attacks on opposition figures, and to have security agencies publish an election‑security plan. He also demanded that the government stop denying opposition parties access to public campaign facilities, that INEC address alleged discrepancies in the voters’ register, and that the judiciary dispense justice without executive interference. Former Minister of Information Professor Jerry Gana, who also addressed the press conference, backed Turaki’s appeal, urging Tinubu to act as “father of the nation” rather than as a partisan politician.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
