2027 polls: Coordinated intimidation, suppression of opposition leaders major threat – HURIWA, others
With barely months to Nigeria’s January 2027 general elections, a disturbing narrative is steadily taking shape across the country’s political landscape; as what began with isolated complaints by opposition figures has evolved into a growing chorus of allegations that security agencies and state institutions are being deployed against critics of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
At the centre of the unfolding controversy is an increasingly visible pattern of complaints from some of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures, who insist they are facing sustained intimidation, surveillance, arrests, prosecutions and restrictions that they believe are politically motivated.
The new spate of fears in the opposition camps has also raised fresh concerns about the credibility of the forthcoming polls and the shrinking space for political dissent.
In its latest demands on the ruling government over credibility of the 2027 polls, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has cautioned President Tinubu against allowing security institutions and electoral bodies to become instruments of partisan politics.
The rights group argued that democracy can only flourish where opposition voices are protected and institutions remain independent, urging the President to guarantee a level playing field before Nigerians head to the polls.
The demand for congenial political playground for all parties follows a pervasive feeling of tension as political parties jostle for voters’ acceptability at period even the voters also wonder whether their thumb prints would determine the outcome of the elecions.
The most striking allegation came from Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, whose remarks sent shockwaves through the political space after he openly declared that he fears for his life.
Speaking during a recent interview, Obi alleged that virtually every aspect of his public engagements is being deliberately obstructed by the government, claiming that invisible forces are frustrating his movements and activities.
His statement that he “might not be alive” before the January elections represented perhaps the strongest public expression yet by a leading opposition presidential candidate regarding personal security concerns.
Although the Presidency has categorically dismissed the allegations as fabricated and politically motivated, Obi’s comments have intensified public debate over whether Nigeria’s political environment is becoming increasingly hostile to opposition leaders.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has reinforced the security scare narrative with his own account of what he describes as years of systematic persecution.
According to Sowore, successive governments including the current administration have allegedly targeted virtually every aspect of his personal and professional life.
His allegations range from repeated expulsions from the University of Lagos and confiscation of his NYSC certificate to repeated seizure of his passport, travel restrictions, imprisonment, prosecutions, physical assaults and prolonged harassment.
Sowore is currently battling prosecution over allegations of defaming President Bola Tinubu.
More poignantly, he alleged that members of his family have also suffered, pointing at the killing of his brother. He insists that the objective has been to break his resolve as a persistent critic of government.
Despite these claims, Sowore maintains that the alleged campaign has failed to silence him.
Also, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has also become a recurring reference point in the debate over the treatment of opposition figures.
Although the HURIWA statement does not detail his legal or political ordeals, his name surfaced prominently when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar demanded his immediate release while simultaneously warning that “nothing must happen to Peter Obi.”
That intervention reflected growing concerns within opposition circles that actions against prominent political actors are no longer viewed as isolated incidents but as part of a broader pattern requiring urgent national attention.
Beyond mainstream politicians, popular online commentator and activist, Justice Mark Chidiebere, widely known as Justice Crack, has become another symbol frequently cited by opposition supporters who argue that vocal critics of government increasingly face scrutiny from security agencies and law enforcement.
His encounters with security authorities have added to public discourse over whether digital influencers and online political commentators are becoming new targets in Nigeria’s increasingly polarized political environment.
While authorities have generally maintained that law enforcement actions are based on alleged legal infractions rather than political considerations, supporters of Justice Crack interpret his ordeals as further evidence of what they describe as shrinking civic space for dissent.
The controversy has been amplified by the internal turbulence that shattered Nigeria’s tentative opposition coalition.
In recent months, disagreements, leadership disputes, defections and competing interests have threatened efforts to build a formidable alliance capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Within opposition circles, allegations have persisted that the APC is allegedly stoking internal divisions by using political operatives or “moles” to destabilize rival parties from within.
HURIWA echoed that narrative, alleging that the ruling party had deployed infiltrators to undermine opposition parties ahead of the elections.
The group also accused the Nigeria Police Force of operating as an extension of the ruling party and questioned the independence of INEC and the judiciary.
The ruling APC and the government of President Tinubu continue to reject the claims.
Taken individually, each allegation may be dismissed by government supporters as political rhetoric. Collectively, however, they point to an emerging atmosphere of distrust that could significantly influence public confidence in the 2027 electoral process.
The opposition increasingly argues that intimidation no longer occurs only through arrests or prosecutions but also through administrative restrictions, surveillance, prolonged legal battles and what they describe as selective application of state power.
The Tinubu administration has consistently rejected such accusations. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga dismissed Peter Obi’s allegations as false, insisting that the government has neither the time nor the inclination to persecute political opponents and remains focused on implementing economic reforms.
Nevertheless, HURIWA insists that the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy will ultimately be measured not by government assurances but by whether opposition politicians, activists and their supporters can campaign freely, criticize those in power without fear and participate in elections without intimidation.
Daily Champion reports that as the January 2027 polls draw closer, the growing security concerns surrounding leading opposition figures, including Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore, Nasir El-Rufai and footmen like Justice Mark Chidiebere are likely to remain central to national political discourse.
As the trade of allegations continues, the situation has already triggered scrutiny of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and increased pressure on security agencies and the electoral commission to demonstrate impartiality throughout the electoral process.
