James Sowole in Abeokuta
A Cultural Organisation and Social Enterprise, Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA), has launched election integrity campaign towards achieving a violence and rancorous free election in 2027.
The campaign involves launch of integrity campaign anthem, titled “No Be War,” and the release of an audio track titled “Your Choice.”
Unveiling the campaign at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State to herald the campaign, the organisation described the forthcoming 2027 general elections, particularly the presidential election, as an opportunity for Nigerians to democratically choose their leaders, warning politicians and other stakeholders against turning the exercise into a “war.”
Addressing journalists at the conference, the Founder and Director of UVA, Mr Ayodele Ganiu, urged political actors and religious leaders to play by the rules and embrace peaceful conduct, warning against toxic, divisive and violent political rhetoric that could plunge the country into avoidable religious, ethnic, political and sectarian violence before, during and after the elections.
According to Ganiu, “Your Choice” is a soulful, mid-tempo Afrobeats-R&B track aimed at countering political hate speech and toxic narratives ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the audio launch set the stage for the premiere of a short film scheduled for September this year, featuring veteran Nollywood actors Yemi Solade, Tunji Sotimirin, Sam Uche Anyamele and Dr Pure.
Demonstrating some video clips of recent harmful and inciting messages by some politicians, Islamic clerics and and pastors in Nigeria, Ganiu lamented that national cohesion was being threatened by their unguarded rhetoric, warning that such extreme and divisive speech should not be allowed to define the identity of Nigerians.
He said UVA had elected to deploy music and storytelling to reclaim the civic narrative from merchants of divisive political rhetoric and inciting comments ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said: “As our nation prepares for the 2027 general elections, national cohesion is severely threatened by escalating political incitement and religious hate speech.
“On one hand, we see political actors inciting violence on the streets, only to slickly retreat into calling their directives ‘harmless political metaphors’ when real harm occurs.
“On the other hand, we face dangerous pulpit and podium polarisation from religious leaders across faiths. Our Islamic and Christian clerics are weaponising religion to divide us.
“Islamic clerics are mobilising religious bloc dominance by demanding exclusive ‘Muslim-Muslim tickets,’ labelling fellow citizens who are not Muslims as ‘infidels’ and preaching extreme rhetoric of pre-emptive subjugation by claiming religious authority to forcibly confine non-adherents to their homes and restrict them from public markets.
“Christian clerics are replacing civic duty with sectarian loyalty, elevating ‘kingdom identity’ over national citizenship, reducing complex democratic elections to binary headcount formulas and asserting from the pulpit that non-participation or voting against the Church amounts to ‘voting for Satan.’
“Whether framed as spiritual warfare or pre-emptive religious dominance, these toxic rhetorics reduce democratic choices to existential battles and turn neighbours against one another.
“We refuse to let such division define our future. Through music, narrative and storytelling, we are taking back the civic narrative.”
In their separate remarks, actor Yemi Solade, Associate Professor Tunji Sotimirin, Sam Uche Anyamele and others called on Nigerians—including leaders, followers, political actors and religious leaders—to promote national harmony and reject divisive rhetoric as the country inches closer to another major election.