Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has triggered controversy ahead of the 2027 general elections with an allegation that some politicians resort to human sacrifice in their pursuit of political power.
Duke made the claim in Abuja during an engagement with the Council of the Wise of the Savannah Centre for Democracy, Diplomacy and Development (SCDDD), led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. The meeting formed part of the council’s consultations with political actors ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former governor said the desperation surrounding political contests had become so intense that some individuals seeking power were allegedly prepared to employ extreme measures, including human sacrifice. He questioned how far the country was prepared to go in its pursuit of political power.
Duke also referred to an incident from his time as Cross River governor, alleging that human body parts were discovered in the residence of a local government chairman. He further claimed that similar incidents had occurred in different parts of Nigeria but were rarely discussed publicly.
The allegation has generated strong reactions because Duke did not identify any politician, political party or specific 2027 aspirant as being involved in human sacrifice. Consequently, the claim remains an allegation rather than an established fact, with no evidence presented publicly in the reports to substantiate accusations against particular political actors.
Duke linked what he described as extreme political desperation to the deterioration of democratic values, arguing that politics had increasingly shifted from a vocation to an occupation. He warned that such desperation could have serious consequences as politicians compete for control ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also warned of the possibility of election-related violence, pointing to statements by political actors suggesting that the country could descend into crisis if they believed the electoral process had been manipulated against them. Duke said such rhetoric indicated that Nigeria could be “gearing up for war” if adequate safeguards were not put in place.
The engagement also featured calls for electoral reforms. Duke advocated a fundamental review of the process for appointing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that those responsible for conducting elections should be sufficiently independent of the political class. He also called for stronger sanctions against electoral violence.
Justice Ariwoola, while addressing the broader political environment, urged presidential candidates to conduct campaigns without rancour, hate speech or inflammatory statements capable of provoking violence. He warned against treating elections as matters of life and death and urged politicians to comply with electoral laws and INEC guidelines.
The former Chief Justice also pointed to practices such as thuggery, vote buying, rigging and ballot stuffing as threats to Nigeria’s democratic process. His intervention placed Duke’s warning within a wider discussion about the need to prevent violence and strengthen confidence in the 2027 electoral process.
Meanwhile, reactions to Duke’s human-sacrifice allegation have continued, with APC figures Hakeem Akintayo and Adam Saheed challenging any attempt to portray the entire political class as involved in such practices. The controversy has consequently shifted attention from the campaign season itself to the increasingly heated debate over how far political desperation could go before the 2027 elections.
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