By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged President Bola Tinubu to back his fresh warning against political violence with concrete action, accusing the administration of relying on “political rhetoric” while allegations of armed political groups and unresolved attacks persist ahead of the 2027 elections.

The rights group said presidential assurances of peaceful elections would mean little unless security agencies begin investigating alleged political militias, enforcing firearms regulations and prosecuting those responsible for attacks on political actors.

HURIWA said Tinubu must demonstrate that his commitment to peaceful elections applies equally to members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties.

The group was reacting to Tinubu’s November 13 declaration that security agencies were authorised to confront political thuggery and other anti-democratic activities “with full force”.

The President had also condemned recent violence at political events and called on political leaders and their supporters to focus their campaigns on issues rather than violence.

But HURIWA said condemning violence in a presidential statement was not enough.

“Nigerians have heard enough promises about peaceful elections. What the country needs now is evidence that the President is prepared to confront political violence even when those implicated are allegedly connected to powerful political interests,” the association said.

It called on Tinubu to order immediate and transparent investigations into allegations concerning firearms and private armed groups allegedly associated with former Niger Delta militant leader Dokubo-Asari and Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Igboho.

HURIWA also urged the relevant security and regulatory authorities to review applicable firearms licences, investigate the legality of weapons allegedly in the possession of the groups and revoke any licences found to have been obtained or retained in breach of the law.

The association expressed concern over allegations that individuals associated with such armed formations could be mobilised as political enforcers in Rivers State, Abuja and parts of the South-West during the 2027 election season.

It also demanded investigations into reported political boasts that the APC would win Rivers State “by whatever means necessary”, asking security agencies to establish who made such declarations and what they meant.

HURIWA warned against the emergence of political militias capable of intimidating opponents, disrupting campaigns and influencing electoral competition.

“If the President is genuinely committed to peaceful elections, he must demonstrate that nobody enjoys immunity from investigation simply because of political connections or proximity to the Presidency,” it said.

The group also dragged the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) into the controversy, demanding compliance with relevant Court of Appeal and National Industrial Court judgments concerning the union’s leadership crisis.

It alleged that transport union structures and motor park networks could be exploited as instruments of political intimidation and called on the President to prevent their use for electoral violence.

HURIWA further demanded answers over the reported attack on Modupe Maren in Ekiti State, asking the Nigeria Police Force to disclose what investigations had been conducted, who had been identified as suspects and why those allegedly responsible had not been brought to justice.

The association said unresolved political attacks could reinforce the perception that political connections provide protection from prosecution.

“The government cannot claim to be confronting political violence while attacks against political actors remain unresolved,” HURIWA said.

It also demanded a public apology over the President’s reported assertion that “all is fair in politics”, describing the statement, if accurately reported, as dangerous in a country battling political intolerance and electoral violence.

HURIWA stressed that political competition must remain within constitutional and legal boundaries, insisting that opposition candidates and their supporters should be free to campaign anywhere in the country without intimidation, attacks or disruption.

The group said Tinubu’s November 13 declaration should now be followed by visible action, including impartial investigations into allegations of private armies, enforcement of firearms laws, respect for court judgments and prosecution of those responsible for political violence.

“Security agencies must also demonstrate that they serve the Nigerian Constitution and not the electoral interests of the ruling party,” HURIWA said.

The association warned that the credibility of the 2027 elections could be undermined if political actors believe violence, intimidation and armed loyalists can be used as tools for securing electoral victory.

It challenged the President to prove that his promise of peaceful elections would apply across party lines, saying Nigerians should be able to determine their leaders through votes and ideas rather than “guns, political godfathers and hired enforcers”.