2027: Akume Mobilises Clerics, Monarchs For Peace
Dr. Nafisat Makinde, Abuja
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on Wednesday urged religious and traditional leaders to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akume made the call in Abuja at the first triannual meeting of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council held at Rockview Hotel under the theme, “Religious Literacy for National Cohesion,” according to a statement signed by Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF, on May 6, 2026.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over misinformation, hate speech and rising political tension ahead of the polls.
He said religious and traditional institutions must help prevent actions and narratives capable of inciting violence before, during and after the elections.
“The 2027 general elections are fast approaching and NIREC, through religious and traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and youth associations, has the responsibility to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, youth education, peaceful coexistence and security in our communities,” Akume said.
He warned against stereotypes, poor communication and the exploitation of identity, describing them as threats to national unity and peaceful elections.
“Conflicts today are fuelled by lack of understanding, stereotypes, ineffective communication and the exploitation of identity,” he said.
Akume said Nigeria’s religious and cultural diversity makes tolerance and religious literacy critical to national cohesion and sustaining peace across communities.
He said efforts to strengthen national cohesion would remain difficult while insecurity continues to disrupt education in parts of the country.
The SGF raised concerns over attacks on schools and prolonged closures in unsafe areas, warning that the situation continues to worsen the country’s education crisis.
“A child cannot learn fraternity in fear; a nation cannot preach literacy while schools are under threat,” he said.
Akume stressed the need for religious literacy to be combined with media and information literacy to combat misinformation, hate speech and inflammatory narratives.
“Religious literacy must be accompanied by media literacy and the discipline to verify information before sharing,” he said.
He said the Federal Government was engaging religious and traditional institutions to strengthen peace and security mechanisms ahead of the 2027 elections.
Akume urged schools, faith communities, media organisations and traditional institutions to promote patriotism, responsible citizenship and peaceful coexistence across the country.
He warned against the misuse of religion to justify violence, discrimination and political division ahead of the 2027 general elections.
All those, can you please check for repetition? I hope there is no repetition of words there, reading between the lines. Check for coherence and some of the words used, the one, the one, the one. Please check it and let’s have the final draft.
2027: Akume Mobilises Clerics, Monarchs for Peace
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on Wednesday urged religious and traditional leaders to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akume made the call in Abuja at the first triannual meeting of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council held at Rockview Hotel under the theme, “Religious Literacy for National Cohesion,” according to a statement signed by Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the SGF, on May 6, 2026.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over misinformation, hate speech and rising political tension ahead of the polls.
He said religious and traditional institutions must help prevent narratives and actions capable of inciting violence before, during and after the elections.
“The 2027 general elections are fast approaching and NIREC, through religious and traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and youth associations, has the responsibility to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, youth education, peaceful coexistence and security in our communities,” Akume said.
He warned that stereotypes, poor communication and the exploitation of identity remain major threats to national unity and peaceful elections.
“Conflicts today are fuelled by lack of understanding, stereotypes, ineffective communication and the exploitation of identity,” he said.
Akume said Nigeria’s religious and cultural diversity makes tolerance and religious literacy critical to national cohesion and lasting peace.
He said efforts to strengthen national unity would remain difficult while insecurity continues to disrupt education in parts of the country.
The SGF raised concerns over attacks on schools and prolonged closures in unsafe areas, warning that the situation continues to worsen the country’s education crisis.
“A child cannot learn fraternity in fear; a nation cannot preach literacy while schools are under threat,” he said.
Akume stressed the need for religious literacy to be combined with media and information literacy to combat misinformation, hate speech and inflammatory narratives.
“Religious literacy must be accompanied by media literacy and the discipline to verify information before sharing,” he said.
He said the Federal Government was engaging religious and traditional institutions to strengthen peace and security mechanisms ahead of the 2027 elections.
Akume urged schools, faith communities, media organisations and traditional institutions to promote patriotism, responsible citizenship and peaceful coexistence across the country.
He warned against the misuse of religion to justify violence, discrimination and political division ahead of the 2027 general elections