2027: Ex-NASS candidate, Aliuna warns against politics of bloodshed as Ebonyi election tensions rise

…Urges Ezza, Ohaukwu youths to reject thuggery, killings and destruction of property

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

As political activities gather momAliunaentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, former House of Representatives candidate for Ebonyi Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, Aliuna Godwin, has called for an end to the politics of bitterness, killings, thuggery and destruction of property in Ebonyi State, warning that electoral contests must not be allowed to tear communities apart.

Aliuna’s warning comes amid concerns over reported attacks, alleged politically motivated killings and the destruction of property in parts of the state, particularly in areas where political rivalries have heightened tensions. 

He has urged youths in Ezza South, Ohaukwu and other communities considered vulnerable to political violence to resist attempts to recruit them into acts of intimidation and criminality.

For Aliuna, the central question confronting Ebonyi as the 2027 elections approach is whether political ambition will be pursued through peaceful competition or allowed to degenerate into violence that threatens lives, livelihoods and the bonds holding communities together. 

He believes the future of the state depends partly on the willingness of political leaders and their supporters to reject violence as a means of settling electoral disagreements.

The former House of Representatives candidate warned that young people must not become instruments in the hands of politicians seeking personal advancement. 

According to him, no electoral contest, political appointment or ambition is worth the death of a young person or the permanent destruction of relationships between families and communities.

He argued that political contests are temporary, but their consequences can endure long after candidates have either won or lost an election. 

While politicians may eventually move on to other engagements, families who lose their children, parents, siblings or breadwinners to political violence must live with the consequences for years.

Aliuna stressed that the people of Ebonyi must recognize the difference between political disagreement and personal enmity. 

In his view, belonging to different political parties or supporting rival candidates should not become grounds for hostility, physical attacks or the destruction of property, particularly among people connected by family ties, ancestry and community interests.

His concern reflects the wider challenge facing communities where political competition intersects with longstanding personal relationships. 

In such settings, disagreements over candidates can easily spill beyond campaign platforms and party meetings into neighbourhoods, families and social gatherings, creating divisions that become difficult to repair.

The reported violence surrounding the Amazekewe incident in Ezza South has become a reference point in the debate over the human cost of political rivalry in the state. 

According to the account provided by Aliuna’s concerns, youths were killed, others injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed during an attack linked to electoral competition. 

The circumstances and responsibility for the incident require proper investigation and confirmation by the relevant authorities.

For Aliuna, the significance of the incident extends beyond the immediate destruction and casualties. He sees it as a warning about what can happen when political differences are allowed to override restraint, community solidarity and respect for human life. 

He urged young people to consider the lasting consequences of participating in attacks against people whose political choices differ from theirs.

“It’s only a foolish man that would allow politics to divide each other. After the 2027 election, brotherhood continues, but if you kill your brother or destroy his property, the wound will never be healed forever,” Aliuna said, emphasising the need to preserve relationships, despite political differences.

The warning also comes against the backdrop of the reported murder of Egeonu Inyima, the younger brother of the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area. 

The killing, which was attributed in the account provided to unidentified political thugs, has raised concerns about the safety of residents as political activities intensify. 

The motive for the killing and the identities of those responsible should be established through a credible investigation.

Although the incident has heightened anxiety among residents, allegations of political involvement must be treated with caution until established by investigators or a competent court. 

Determining whether a killing is politically motivated requires evidence, and those responsible for any crime must be identified through lawful procedures rather than speculation or the attribution of collective blame.

Beyond the individual incidents, the emerging concern is the potential impact of violence on public confidence in the electoral process. 

When residents fear attacks because of their political affiliations or support for particular candidates, the atmosphere necessary for free political participation becomes threatened. 

Voters must be able to attend rallies, engage in debates and support candidates without fear of intimidation or physical harm.

Aliuna has therefore called on political stakeholders, traditional rulers, community leaders, religious figures and other opinion leaders to intensify efforts to discourage violence among young people. 

He believes these influential groups have a responsibility to promote peaceful coexistence and make it clear that no candidate or political organisation should benefit from intimidation, attacks or destruction.

His appeal also places responsibility on political parties and candidates to monitor the conduct of their supporters. 

Campaign organisations should publicly reject violence, discourage inflammatory language and cooperate with security agencies whenever credible allegations of threats or attacks arise. 

Political leaders must also ensure that their supporters understand that disagreements should be resolved through dialogue and lawful electoral procedures.

The role of security agencies will be equally important as the election approaches. The reported increase in attacks and killings has heightened calls for stronger surveillance, prompt investigations and the prosecution of those found responsible for criminal acts. 

However, security operations must be conducted professionally, impartially and in accordance with the law to maintain public trust and protect the rights of residents.

For communities in Ezza South and Ohaukwu, preventing electoral violence will require more than warnings issued during campaign periods. 

It will demand sustained engagement with young people, credible channels for resolving disputes, cooperation among community leaders and practical efforts to address the circumstances that make youths vulnerable to recruitment into violent activities.

Young people, in particular, need to understand that political participation does not require hostility towards opponents. 

They can contribute to campaigns through mobilisation, policy discussions, voter education, lawful advocacy and peaceful engagement with their communities. 

Such participation allows them to influence the political process without placing their lives, freedom or future at risk.

Aliuna also invoked the peace and order which he said Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration had restored in parts of the state, urging residents to protect that atmosphere as preparations for the 2027 elections continue. 

His appeal underscores the importance of sustaining peace through the collective efforts of the government, security agencies, political parties, community institutions and ordinary citizens.

Ultimately, the test for Ebonyi’s political actors will be whether they can compete for public office without turning political opponents into enemies. 

Elections are intended to provide citizens with an opportunity to choose their representatives, not to create conditions in which lives are lost, homes are destroyed and communities are divided. 

As the 2027 polls draw closer, Aliuna’s warning presents a challenge to political leaders and their supporters: to place human life, justice and peaceful coexistence above the pursuit of power, ensuring that the end of an election does not mark the beginning of lasting bitterness among brothers, neighbours and communities.