Mr Dele Oladeji, Lagos State Chairman of the Accord Party, has urged the state government and police command to act decisively against rising political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Oladeji, the party’s Lagos West Senatorial Candidate, described the attack on Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in Oregun, Ikeja, as a serious threat to the state’s security.
He described the incident as unfortunate, noting that political violence, previously limited to campaign activities, is now escalating.
“It is unfortunate that we are experiencing this violence now. The 2027 campaigns have been marked by repeated incidents targeting the opposition.
“This has escalated, as thugs are now confronting opposition parties at their event venues,” he said.
Oladeji cited alleged instances where opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), were denied access to venues for their political activities.
He cited incidents where venues were locked, or access was denied to opposition parties at the last minute.
“Sometimes, party members are denied entry to the venue at the last minute.
We have seen this happen frequently, and most times, the police do not intervene,” he said.
The Accord chairman warned that if security agencies fail to address political violence, insecurity could worsen and put both residents and security personnel at risk.
Oladeji stated that political violence was discussed at two emergency meetings with political stakeholders and security authorities earlier in the week.
He said the State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) convened an emergency meeting with political stakeholders on Tuesday to address rising political attacks in Lagos. The State Director called us to an emergency meeting about the rising political attacks in Lagos State because he has been receiving petitions from political parties.
“We discussed this extensively, and he promised to take immediate action to prevent further decline in security in Lagos State,” he said.
He added that the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State also held a strategic emergency meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to address political attacks and violence.
According to him, the meeting also considered the vandalisation of political parties’ billboards and posters, with petitions reportedly submitted by some political parties.
“In our emergency meeting with INEC, the sole topic was political attacks and violence; parties’ billboards and posters and other issues were robustly discussed,” he said.
Oladeji said the INEC chairman promised to engage security agencies on measures to ensure peaceful political activities and a safe electoral process.
However, he expressed disappointment that another attack occurred less than 48 hours after the meetings.
“It is disappointing that just 48 hours later, this has happened again,” he said.
Regarding the exchange of accusations between the APC and NDC, Oladeji noted that the attack’s location was significant because it took place inside an enclosed event venue, not during a political procession. He would not conclusively apportion blame; Oladeji insisted that the APC had questions to answer over the presence of its members or supporters at the NDC event.
Oladeji called on the Lagos State Government and the Commissioner of Police to take urgent action to prevent further deterioration of security and political violence.
“This is necessary to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” he said that although the situation had not yet resulted in reported fatalities, failure to act promptly could lead t “We are still fortunate that things remain stable. Before lives are lost or casualties occur, let us act now,” he said.t now,” he said.
