Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has lamented that Nigeria recorded 1,639 deaths from electoral violence between 1999 and 2023, describing the figure as a national burden that must not be allowed to continue.

This is as he warned political actors against any form of violence, insisting that electoral ambition must never be allowed to cost Nigerian lives.

The Ekiti senator, who made the appeal in his Eid-el-Kabir message on Wednesday, said no citizen should be made to pay the ultimate price for political competition.

Citing data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, Bamidele said, “We must learn from our history still striped with the blood of the victims of electoral violence.

“As shown in the report of the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, Nigeria has lost no fewer than 1,639 lives to electoral violence between 1999 and 2023.

“From 80 lives in 1999 to 100 in 2003; 300 in 2007; 800 in 2011; 100 in 2015; 150 in 2019, and 109 in 2023, the cost of electoral violence is too much for us as a federation to bear. It must come to an end now.

“No Nigerian, whether old or young, deserved to die again because some people are seeking political offices by all means during the general elections.”

The Senate leader also used the religious occasion to call attention to the worsening security situation in parts of the country, urging prayers for victims of kidnapping and banditry, particularly the 87 children and teachers recently abducted in Borno and Oyo states.

The message came at a time of renewed political activity ahead of the 2027 polls, with Bamidele cautioning that the nation must not repeat the tragic experiences of past elections marked by violence and loss of lives.

He warned political actors against inciting violence before, during, and after the elections, stressing that Nigeria’s democratic journey must be anchored on peace, legality, and restraint.

“Commemorating Eid-el-Kabir should not be an annual ritual, but a time to recommit our hearts to our nation’s peaceful co-existence and collective prosperity.

“It comes with a huge responsibility to build together, especially at a time when few rogue elements among us are pursuing an entirely different agenda,” he said.

He further urged political parties, candidates and supporters to see Nigeria as a shared heritage that must be protected above partisan interests.

“Regardless of our political parties, we must go into the campaign, indeed, the 2027 elections, with a definite resolve that Nigeria is our collective heritage; that our activities must be conducted according to the extant laws; and that no life will be lost as a result,” he said.

Bamidele added that the season of electioneering should be approached with lessons from history and the values of Prophet Ibrahim, particularly faith, obedience and sacrifice, which the Eid-el-Kabir celebration represents.

Nearly all political parties, he noted, have concluded their primaries, making it imperative for stakeholders to avoid actions capable of plunging the country into crisis. (PUNCH)