Founder of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has issued a strong warning to Nigerian youths against participating in ballot-box snatching during the 2027 general elections.
In a video shared on X, the cleric warned that youths who attempt to interfere with ballot boxes could face fatal consequences.
Chinyere said the era of ballot-box snatching should end and challenged politicians who allegedly recruit young Nigerians as political thugs to involve their own children in such activities.
He argued that political violence disproportionately places young people in danger while the children of powerful politicians are often kept away from the risks associated with election-related violence.
The cleric’s comments come as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, with INEC continuing preparations for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Election-related violence has remained a longstanding concern in Nigeria, with political actors and civil-society organisations repeatedly warning against the recruitment of young people into political violence.
Chinyere’s intervention places particular emphasis on the responsibility of young Nigerians to refuse participation in activities that could undermine the electoral process or put their lives at risk.
He also questioned why politicians who allegedly sponsor political thuggery do not expose their own children to the same dangers.
The comments come against a backdrop of efforts by INEC and other institutions to strengthen the credibility and security of the 2027 elections.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan has previously said technological safeguards and other measures are being strengthened to protect votes and reduce opportunities for ballot-box snatching and manual manipulation.
As political mobilisation intensifies, the warning underscores the continuing concern that young Nigerians could become the frontline participants in election-related violence.