The Council of the Wise, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has urged presidential candidates in the 2027 general elections to avoid hate speech, inflammatory statements and actions capable of triggering violence.
The council, established by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during an advocacy engagement with the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate and former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke.
Ariwoola urged Duke to ensure that his campaign remained peaceful and free from rancour, hate speech, falsehood and provocative comments capable of inciting supporters or undermining the electoral process.
The former CJN also called on presidential candidates and their supporters to respect electoral laws, guidelines and their respective party codes of conduct.
He stressed the importance of issue-based campaigns, urging candidates to focus on the challenges confronting Nigerians and present practical solutions rather than resorting to divisive rhetoric.
According to Ariwoola, Nigeria’s electoral history since 1999 has been characterised by challenges including violence, hate speech, vote-buying and other forms of electoral malpractice.
He said the Council of the Wise, which was reconstituted in June 2026 as an 11-member body, would continue engaging political actors and other stakeholders before, during and after the 2027 elections in a bid to promote peaceful and credible polls.
Responding, Duke assured the council that he and the PRP would conduct themselves in a law-abiding manner throughout the electioneering period.
The former governor said his party would not resort to violence or confrontation, even when faced with challenges during the electoral process.
Duke described Nigeria’s democracy as increasingly becoming a “do-or-die affair”, attributing the development partly to the perception of politics as an occupation rather than a vocation.
He called for a review of the country’s democratic system and urged stakeholders to ensure that the will of Nigerians is allowed to prevail during elections.
The engagement with Duke is part of the Council of the Wise’s broader consultations with presidential candidates and other key stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The council was established in 2014 to promote peaceful, transparent and credible elections and strengthen democratic governance in Nigeria. Its current members were drawn from across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
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