ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications is to commence a statewide sensitisation campaign on peaceful political participation as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Director-General of the Bureau, Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, disclosed this during a special interview with Rize FM 106.7, Warri, while reacting to the reported confrontation involving suspected supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area.
The reported confrontation occurred during an NDC mobilisation exercise and later attracted widespread attention after videos of the incident circulated on social media. The Delta State Government has condemned the disturbance and directed security agencies to investigate the circumstances and prosecute anyone found culpable.
Oghenesivbe said political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into physical confrontation, stressing that elections provide citizens with an opportunity to choose their leaders on the basis of programmes, policies, records and ideas.
He warned that violence and other prohibited conduct associated with elections can have consequences under Nigeria’s electoral and criminal laws.
The Electoral Act 2022, for instance, provides penalties for disorderly conduct at elections, while its provisions also prohibit the possession of offensive weapons intended to intimidate voters and the snatching or destruction of election materials at polling units on election day. INEC similarly identifies these acts among prohibited conduct within the polling environment.
The Director-General therefore urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to exercise restraint and channel grievances through lawful processes rather than confrontation.
He said the consequences of political violence extend beyond the immediate incident, warning that violence can generate fear among residents, discourage voter participation, disrupt legitimate political activities and cause damage to businesses and public infrastructure.
According to him, prolonged political confrontation can also deepen divisions within communities, making it more difficult for residents to maintain relationships after elections.
Oghenesivbe said the state government had already condemned the reported Effurun incident through the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who announced that security agencies had been directed to investigate the matter.
The government has maintained that political parties, candidates and their supporters have the right to campaign peacefully anywhere in Delta State, provided their activities remain within the law.
The Bureau chief said the proposed sensitisation campaign would use the mass media to educate citizens about peaceful political participation and the consequences of electoral violence.
He said an important component of the campaign would be encouraging political parties and candidates to make their campaigns issue-based by presenting their policies, programmes, development plans and proposed solutions to problems confronting the people.
“Political campaigns should be about ideas and issues, not violence or physical confrontation,” he said, urging political actors to rely on dialogue, persuasion and lawful democratic mechanisms in resolving disagreements.
Oghenesivbe also called on political parties, candidates, youths, community leaders, traditional institutions, religious organisations and the media to support efforts aimed at maintaining peaceful political engagement across the state.
He stressed that political competition should not destroy the social relationships that bind communities together, noting that political contests are temporary while residents and communities must continue to live together after elections.
The warning comes as political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections becomes increasingly visible across Delta State. Recent events in Effurun have already prompted renewed calls for political actors to ensure that campaign activities do not become a source of intimidation or confrontation.
Oghenesivbe urged Deltans to reject violence and support issue-based political campaigns, saying the programmes, policies, records and ideas of candidates should form the basis of their appeals to voters.
He also urged political actors to recognise that disagreements are an inherent part of democratic competition but should be resolved through dialogue and established legal channels.
The planned campaign by the Bureau is therefore expected to focus not only on condemning violence after incidents occur, but also on educating political participants and the wider public on peaceful participation as the 2027 electoral cycle approaches.
