Opadokun Warns: Rising Killings Are Politically Engineered Ahead of 2027 Elections

Chief Ayo Opadokun, elder statesman, lawyer and former National Publicity Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), has raised serious concerns over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, describing the current wave of killings and violence as deliberate and politically sponsored rather than accidental.

Speaking during his installation as the Grand Patron of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Offa, Kwara State, Opadokun said the pattern of violence mirrors past political strategies where armed groups were mobilised for electoral purposes and later abandoned. According to him, a former North-West governor once openly disclosed how bandits were contacted and used during the 2014/2015 political season. While the politicians expected the violence to subside after elections, it instead escalated and became entrenched.

With the 2027 general elections approaching, Opadokun warned that Nigeria risks losing electoral credibility if insecurity is not urgently addressed. He stressed that no election can be considered free or fair in a country plagued by fear, killings and lawlessness, noting that citizens must feel safe to participate in the democratic process.

The elder statesman also linked Nigeria’s insecurity to long-standing structural failures, including the politicisation of religion, the arming of thugs by politicians, and the legacy of prolonged military rule. He argued that the normalisation of violence as a tool of power has weakened institutions, eroded moral authority and deepened national instability.

Opadokun reiterated the central message of his new book, The Gun Hegemony, insisting that “no nation can shoot its way to peace.” He called for a shift from brute force to justice, accountability, inclusion and genuine federalism as the foundation for sustainable security.

While acknowledging the efforts of the current administration, he urged the government to act decisively to restore peace, warning that failure to do so could endanger both national unity and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.