"2027 Elections: Oshiomhole Urges Politicians to Stop Supplying AK-47s to Jobless Individuals"

Table of Contents

• Plea Against Using Unemployed for Disruption
• Caution Against Hackers in Elections
• Concerns About Simultaneous Elections
• The Need to Eliminate Violence
• Correlation Between Elections and Crime
• The True Essence of Democracy
• A Call for Collective Resolve

Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole has urged his fellow politicians and lawmakers to refrain from using the unemployed to disrupt elections.

The former governor of Edo State made these remarks during Wednesday's Senate plenary session.

He emphasized that Nigeria must exercise caution regarding hackers when integrating technology into elections.

Additionally, he expressed his disapproval of conducting the presidential, National Assembly, and gubernatorial elections on the same day.

“I’m not sure if Mr. President will recall this moment. I may not have the right to summon the President as a witness, but I want to remind you of what I stated when we were both governors. The primary issue we must diligently work to eliminate in our electoral process is violence. We cannot have elections that resemble a war, where young men and others carry AK-47s to intimidate opponents or to threaten the young men and women overseeing the elections or to seize coalition centers.

During that meeting, I was a sitting governor, and I believe Governor Dickson was present as well. I distinctly remember stating that AK-47s are not as easily obtainable as buying akara on the street [only influential individuals can acquire them]. I recall former Governor Amaechi asking me if I was implying that the governors were involved.

“I think I responded affirmatively because if you consult the security agencies, they will confirm that after every election, violent crimes tend to rise. This is because politicians provide weapons to hungry youths, paying them a small fee, and once the elections conclude, they cannot retrieve the weapons. Consequently, these individuals resort to violence using the weapons.

“There is a noticeable link between the rise in criminal activities, such as robbery, immediately following elections, as these individuals have been abandoned once the results are announced. Some have suggested that I should not implicate governors.

“I’m not implicating governors at this moment. I’m merely recalling my previous statements. As I listen to everyone who has spoken here, it seems we all agree; I have yet to hear anyone express a desire for anything less than a transparent election.

“If we genuinely want this—not just in words, but from the heart—and we commit to eliminating violence while convincing ourselves that the Nigerian populace deserves to elect and dismiss leaders without fear or favor on Election Day, at least every four years, we will achieve free, fair, and transparent elections.

“The essence of democracy lies not in merely holding an important elective position.

“It is the realization that people, of their own free will, find you deserving to be their voice and to manage our collective resources to benefit the greatest number.

“That, to me, is the true essence. If you attain it through manipulation or rigging, deep down, you know you cannot be truly satisfied.

“Therefore, I wish to emphasize the following. First, we should each make a commitment, both individually and collectively, that as elected officials, we senators will not directly or indirectly support or arm unemployed individuals to disrupt elections. If we can establish this principle, we will have solved 90 percent of the problem.”