A popular Nigerian preacher, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, has warned young Nigerians not to snatch ballot boxes in the 2027 elections. Ballot box snatching means seizing a box of cast votes by force or theft, so the votes cannot be counted. In a video on X, he said: “If you go near any ballot box just to snatch it, you will die.” He added that Nigerians are tired and that “the era of ballot box snatching is over.”
He also challenged politicians. He said they have children abroad and should bring them home to snatch ballot boxes for them, instead of using other people’s children.
What the pastor did not explain (the meaning of “you will die”)
The reports do not say when or where the video was recorded. They also do not make clear what he meant by the warning. It could be a spiritual statement, a prediction or a warning of mob action. The reports we found give no explanation, and we cannot say which he intended. Nigerian law does not allow anyone to kill a person for an electoral offence. Such offenders are meant to be arrested and prosecuted.
His claim that politicians’ children live abroad is also his view, and he did not name anyone in the quotes we saw.
He is not the only one saying it (other voices against political thuggery)
Others have given similar advice to young people. In August, the comedian HK Chairman urged youths to refuse to be used as political thugs and warned that those recruited for violence may be abandoned after elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also made a related claim. Its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said in July that the era of ballot box snatching and manual result manipulation is gone because of current technological safeguards. He added that the commission must explain this to rural farmers, market women and urban youth. The presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship elections for February 6, 2027.
Recent elections show the problem is not yet gone (past cases and what followed)
The most recent big test was the Osun governorship election on August 15, 2026. The Tribune reported pockets of violence, including ballot box snatching, alleged teargassing of voters and disruption of voting. Police said they arrested a lawmaker in Ikire along with about 146 suspected mercenaries, brought in from neighbouring Ondo State. The suspects allegedly said an unnamed politician recruited them and promised them money. These are police claims and allegations, not court findings.
The police later said that 295 people were arrested during the election. Of those, 293 were released on bail after screening, and only two remained in custody for prosecution. That shows how few cases may end in court.
In June, ahead of the Ekiti governorship election, the police warned that offenders involved in vote buying, vote selling and ballot box snatching would be arrested and prosecuted. A Guardian column afterwards noted complaints that law enforcement agencies failed to arrest vote traders in that election, despite tougher legal provisions.
Money, power and little risk (why young people get recruited)
The Osun case points to a clear pattern. Young men are offered cash to carry out violence, while those who pay them stay out of sight. Unemployment and poverty make such offers hard to refuse. The risk falls on the foot soldiers, who may be arrested, injured or killed, while sponsors rarely face charges.
Weak punishment also plays a part. If most arrested persons are released on bail and few are prosecuted, the cost of taking part in violence appears small.
Lost votes, lost lives and lost trust (effects)
When ballot boxes are snatched, voters in that area lose their voice. Results can be cancelled or disputed, and communities can be left without proper representation. Clashes can also lead to injury or death.
For the country, repeated violence reduces trust in elections, and may keep some voters at home. It can also harden political divisions, and lead to long court battles over results.
Making snatching harder and punishment real (possible solutions)
INEC says its digital tools make manual manipulation harder, but voters need to understand how they work, as the chairman himself noted. Security agencies should protect polling units and electoral materials, and arrest those who recruit and pay thugs, not only the young men who carry out the acts.
The law already lists penalties. INEC’s published list of offences includes fines of ₦50 million or a jail term of at least 10 years for offences such as destroying or wrongly holding ballot papers. Those penalties only matter if cases reach court. Political parties can also sign and enforce codes against violence, and religious and community leaders can keep telling youths not to join thuggery. Employment and skills programmes can offer young people better options than a day’s pay for violence.
Speak out, but do not threaten (our reading of the warning)
We understand why many Nigerians welcome a clear message to young people that they should not become tools of political violence. The fact that clerics, comedians and the election body are all saying it suggests the concern is widely shared.
But we must also be careful with words. Telling youths that they “will die” can be read as a threat, and no one should be harmed for an electoral offence outside the law. The better answer is a system where those who snatch ballot boxes, and those who pay them, are arrested, tried and punished. If INEC’s technology works and the courts act, the era of ballot box snatching can end. Words alone will not end it.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
