By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described the reported decision by the European Union (EU) to limit its election observation mission for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections as a “bad omen,” urging the Federal Government to intensify the fight against terrorism and insecurity.
HURIWA National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, stated this in a statement on Monday, expressing concern that the EU decision could damage Nigeria’s democratic reputation and undermine confidence in the 2027 electoral process.
According to Onwubiko, the reported decision, linked to Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation and alleged hostile treatment of EU observers and officials following the 2023 elections, should serve as a wake-up call to the Federal Government, security agencies and other stakeholders.
He noted that the EU had maintained a significant election observation presence in Nigeria over several electoral cycles, making its reported decision to limit its 2027 involvement to a small number of officials in Abuja a development that should concern Nigerians.
Onwubiko said the reported arrangement would exclude long-term observers across the states, short-term observers on election day and a chief observer.
“We consider this a bad omen that demands urgent corrective action,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria cannot build a credible democracy in an environment where insecurity prevents citizens from travelling freely, political parties from campaigning, electoral officials from reaching polling units and observers from independently monitoring elections.
He therefore urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify the national campaign against terrorism, banditry, insurgency and other violent crimes capable of threatening the 2027 electoral process.
Onwubiko said terrorists and criminal groups must not be allowed to determine where Nigerians can travel, where candidates can campaign or whether citizens can exercise their constitutional right to vote.
He called for sustained military pressure against terrorist networks and their collaborators, including measures to disrupt their logistics, financing, recruitment and operational capabilities.
HURIWA also commended the Chief of Army Staff over what Onwubiko described as recent positive reports from the Nigerian Army in the fight against terrorism.
“These developments demonstrate that when our security forces are properly motivated, equipped, strategically coordinated and professionally led, meaningful progress can be achieved in the battle against terrorism and other security threats,” he said.
Onwubiko urged the Chief of Army Staff to sustain the momentum while calling on all service chiefs to develop stronger joint strategies and coordinated operational mechanisms capable of delivering a decisive blow against terrorist organisations.
He advocated deeper synergy among the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force and intelligence agencies, arguing that terrorists exploit institutional and geographical gaps between security agencies.
According to him, Nigeria’s security architecture must respond with greater intelligence sharing, joint operational planning, coordinated air and ground operations and stronger mechanisms for tracking terrorist logistics and financing.
He said the objective should go beyond the periodic elimination of individual terrorists to the systematic dismantling of the networks responsible for recruiting, financing, arming, transporting and sheltering them.
The HURIWA coordinator also urged the Federal Government to examine the reported allegation that EU observers and officials were subjected to hostile treatment following the publication of the bloc’s 2023 election report.
He said international election observers should not be treated as enemies because their reports contain criticisms of Nigeria’s electoral process.
“Where observers identify weaknesses in electoral administration, the appropriate democratic response is to examine the findings, correct the weaknesses and strengthen the system,” he said.
Onwubiko consequently called on the Federal Government and political actors to guarantee a safe and conducive environment for accredited domestic and international election observers during the 2027 elections.
He stressed that securing the 2027 elections should not begin on election day, but must start immediately.
According to him, political candidates must be able to travel across the country, parties must be allowed to organise lawful campaigns, electoral officials must have access to polling locations, while journalists, observers and voters must be able to perform their duties and participate in the electoral process without fear.
HURIWA called on the Federal Government to intensify counter-terrorism operations, strengthen cooperation among the service chiefs, improve intelligence sharing, dismantle terrorist logistics and financing networks, secure vulnerable communities and transportation corridors, protect INEC facilities and personnel, and guarantee the safety of candidates, observers, journalists and voters.
Onwubiko said the fight against terrorism was inseparable from the effort to preserve democracy, urging the Federal Government not to dismiss the reported EU decision as mere diplomatic embarrassment or foreign interference.
He said the development should instead be treated as a warning that Nigeria urgently needs to restore security and confidence in its democratic process.
“Nigeria must not allow terrorists to become the invisible election observers of 2027 by determining where citizens can vote, where candidates can campaign and where observers can go,” Onwubiko said.
He urged President Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff and other service chiefs to build on recent military gains and establish a sustained, coordinated campaign against terrorism.
“A peaceful Nigeria is the foundation of a credible election,” he added.
About the Author
