Nigeria's Election Violence Claims 870 Lives Since 2015

Since the National Peace Committee began its intervention in 2015, Nigeria has recorded at least 870 deaths due to election-related violence, raising concerns about the effectiveness of peace accords signed by political parties and candidates. The committee, chaired by Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar and co-chaired by Matthew Kukah, introduced the peace accord before the 2015 elections, with Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan pledging to accept election outcomes and avoid violence.

However, violence persisted, with reports indicating 106 deaths during the 2015 elections and 626 deaths in the 2019 election period. For the 2023 elections, 109 deaths were reported, despite candidates signing peace agreements.

The trend continued in the recent Osun State governorship election, resulting in at least 29 deaths. In response, the National Peace Committee organized a new peace accord signing event in Abuja, attended by representatives including Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, and others, as the country prepares for the 2027 elections.