The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) says it will activate its national conflict telephony system to monitor and report incidents of electoral and political violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The Director-General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a sideline interview with journalists at a world media briefing to mark the 2026 International Day of Peace.
Ochogwu said the system would facilitate real-time incident reporting and allow the institute to escalate emerging cases to relevant government and non-governmental stakeholders for timely intervention.
He said the initiative was part of IPCR’s Electoral Violence Prevention Programme aimed at supporting peaceful elections in 2027.
“We’ll be activating our national conflict telephony system to begin to do incident reporting that is targeted at issues around electoral and political violence,” he said.
According to him, IPCR would also collaborate with hospitals, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to strengthen efforts to prevent and respond to electoral violence.
He said the institute’s interventions would complement those of security agencies and other stakeholders involved in election security.
“Their own activities that they are doing, but our activities are going to complement and reinforce whatever they are doing to ensure that we have a much more peaceful and better election,” he said.
Ochogwu said IPCR had been involved in efforts to promote credible, transparent, fair and acceptable elections in Nigeria since 2003, working with various partners to develop mechanisms for peaceful electoral processes.
He added that the institute was implementing youth-focused programmes and social media advocacy to improve young Nigerians’ understanding of political reforms and electoral issues.
The IPCR boss also cautioned politicians against making unrealistic promises to voters, particularly claims that reforms could produce immediate or miraculous results.
“Any politician that comes and says he’s going to do a miracle, it’s a lie,” he said.
He said reforms often came with difficulties and urged Nigerians to consider policy choices and their implications when making electoral decisions.
“From my experience, my research experience, there is no reform that does not come with some elements of hate,” Ochogwu said.
He stressed that IPCR’s role was to promote an environment in which political actors, electoral institutions, and other stakeholders fulfilled their responsibilities responsibly.
“Our side, we are trying to ensure that politicians begin to do the right thing; the electoral body and all the responsible agencies can begin to do the right thing,” he said.
Ochogwu said peaceful, legitimate and acceptable elections would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and provide an opportunity to build a better society.
He expressed concern about the tendency of political actors to begin another electoral cycle shortly after a government is constituted, saying the pattern has contributed to rising political tensions.
“What we’ve seen from 2013 to now is the fact that political actors started the election immediately when government was constituted,” he said.
He said IPCR would continue to work with partners on sensitization, research, monitoring, tracking and policy advisory ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ochogwu added that the institute’s election-related interventions formed part of its broader peacebuilding and democratic stability mandate and would continue throughout the electoral process and beyond the 2027 elections.
He said the institute would remain engaged in peacebuilding, nation-building and state-building efforts.
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Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Peace Committee, Mrs Grace Atim, said peace must be deliberately built through collective action rather than passively awaited. “Peace is not what we wait for; it is what we build,” Atim said.
She urged stakeholders and citizens to work together to promote peaceful coexistence and build a peaceful society.
 says it will activate its national conflict telephony system to monitor and report incidents of electoral and political violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.){kind=link}