Ahead of next year’s general elections, the United Nations has demanded violence-free polls, warning the Nigerian electorate against allowing the elections to become sources of violence and instability.

The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Wednesday. He also urged Nigerians to see the election as a democratic process to promote peace, national cohesion and development.

Simão emphasised that the UN recognised the enormous responsibility facing INEC, particularly amid the security challenges confronting Nigeria and other countries in the West African sub-region.

Announcing that the UN would maintain a presence during the electoral process to encourage positive conduct and support an atmosphere conducive to peaceful participation, he said: “We are here, pleased to give you moral support, that you are not alone in facing this mammoth task.”

Simão clarified that the UN would not participate as an election observer because it had no mandate to undertake election observation.

He stressed, however, that the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 elections would have implications beyond its borders, particularly for democratic stability, regional integration and peace in West Africa.

According to him, peaceful elections in Nigeria could encourage other countries in the region, while instability could have wider consequences.

Earlier, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan had disclosed that its technology-enabled verification exercise had identified about 1.5 million questionable voter registration records, with more than 1.27 million confirmed invalid and removed from the National Register of Voters.

Amupitan insisted that the Commission’s efforts to sanitise the National Register of Voters and address identified irregularities that could undermine the credibility of the electoral process had led to the identification of about 1.5 million questionable registration records.

He further explained that more than 1.27 million records had been confirmed invalid and removed from the database as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to make it compulsory for public and private hospitals across Nigeria to provide emergency medical treatment, prescribing up to six months’ imprisonment for facilities and individuals who violate its provisions.

The proposed legislation also prescribes a fine of up to ₦300,000, imprisonment for six months, or both, for anyone convicted of denying emergency medical treatment.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to establish mandatory emergency medical treatment standards and referral protocols in healthcare facilities.

Titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Health Act, 2014 to Provide for Emergency Medical Treatment Standards and Referral Protocols in Healthcare Facilities; and for Related Matters, 2026” (SB. 759), it was referred to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further legislative action, with a directive to report back in four weeks.

Under the proposed amendment, no healthcare provider, health worker or medical establishment would be allowed to deny anyone emergency medical treatment for any reason.

It also requires healthcare professionals to commence life-saving interventions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and bleeding control, immediately after identifying a life-threatening condition.

The bill proposes that hospitals conduct triage and initial assessments within 15 minutes of a patient’s arrival, while basic stabilisation measures, including oxygen administration, intravenous fluids, pain management and initial diagnostic procedures, must begin within 30 minutes.

For patients requiring admission, hospital beds are to be assigned within two hours, subject to availability.

Where beds are unavailable, healthcare facilities would be required to commence immediate stabilisation and arrange the patient’s transfer to another hospital.

The proposed legislation further requires hospitals to initiate referral arrangements within two hours and complete the transfer process within three hours of a patient’s arrival, except where circumstances beyond their control prevent compliance.

It also mandates hospitals to dispatch an ambulance or arrange alternative transportation within 30 minutes of communicating a referral decision.

Beyond emergency response timelines, the bill seeks to introduce mandatory emergency care training and certification for healthcare workers, with recertification intervals not exceeding 18 months.

It also mandates the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to jointly develop a standardised national emergency care curriculum.

However, healthcare practitioners would be protected from penalties where resource constraints prevent compliance, provided the challenges are properly documented and prescribed referral procedures are followed.

Leading debate on the bill, Yar’Adua said the proposed amendment would address critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system by establishing enforceable standards for emergency treatment and referral procedures.

He said it would guarantee timely and life-saving medical attention to Nigerians during emergencies, irrespective of their social status, wealth, influence or location.

According to him, preventable deaths persist because many healthcare facilities lack clearly defined and enforceable timelines for patient assessment, stabilisation and treatment.

He cited Nigeria’s contribution to approximately 10 per cent of global maternal deaths, attributing part of the problem to delays in accessing emergency obstetric care.

Yar’Adua said the proposed legislation would strengthen coordination among primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities, while ensuring that patients are stabilised before being referred to other hospitals.

He added that the bill would protect healthcare workers acting in good faith within documented resource limitations while ensuring accountability for wilful negligence.

The senator said the proposed amendment was consistent with international practices, citing Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Supporting the bill, the Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North), said it would address deaths arising from road accidents and maternal emergencies.

He lamented that some healthcare providers neglected emergency patients, resulting in avoidable deaths, and said the proposed amendment would introduce criminal liability for such negligence.

Monguno said the legislation would address gaps in the existing National Health Act and reinforce government’s responsibility to protect the welfare of citizens.

Similarly, Senator Diket Plang (Plateau Central) said the bill would improve emergency admissions and establish appropriate referral procedures across different levels of healthcare delivery.

He noted that rural communities particularly needed the intervention because childbirth complications often required urgent referrals from primary healthcare centres to higher-level facilities.

Plang stressed that patients must be stabilised before transportation, adding that the proposed provisions would help prevent avoidable deaths during emergency transfers.

However, Senator Francis Faduyile (APC, Ondo South) cautioned against criminalising healthcare professionals without first addressing inadequate facilities, personnel shortages and other systemic challenges.

He said many hospitals lacked sufficient doctors, oxygen cylinders and emergency equipment, making it difficult for healthcare workers to meet the proposed timelines.

Faduyile questioned how a doctor attending to several patients simultaneously could be held criminally responsible when another emergency case arrived.

He also raised concerns about inadequate funding, noting that private healthcare providers frequently attended to emergency patients without receiving reimbursement for the services.

The senator argued that Nigeria’s healthcare challenges required a comprehensive review of the National Health Act rather than concentrating solely on sanctions against healthcare professionals.

The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), said the bill had exposed several gaps requiring comprehensive legislative attention.

He expressed confidence that the committee stage and proposed public hearing would provide opportunities for healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to make contributions.

Moro, who cited experiences in Mexico where emergency responders and ambulances reportedly attended promptly to accident victims, condemned the practice of hospitals demanding police reports before treating emergency patients.

He stressed that saving lives should remain the priority in emergency situations.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the debate had highlighted important challenges requiring attention across the country’s healthcare system.

Akpabio urged lawmakers to support the bill’s progression, noting that identified shortcomings could be addressed through further legislative deliberations and consultations with relevant stakeholders.

He stressed that the Federal Government, state governments and local government authorities must work together to provide the facilities and resources required for effective healthcare delivery.

Women across Plateau State have staged a strong show of solidarity against persistent insecurity, calling on the government and security agencies to end recurring attacks, protect vulnerable communities and restore lasting peace.

The women made the demands during a non-violent peace march held on 3 November 2026, organised by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Nigeria (WANEP-Nigeria), in collaboration with the Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PSPBA), with support from the Urgent Action Fund-Africa.

The protest comes amid recurring violent attacks by suspected armed men, which have claimed lives, displaced families, destroyed livelihoods and heightened humanitarian concerns across the state.

In a communiqué issued after the march, the women highlighted the 17 August attack on Bin-Per community in Mangu Local Government Area, where at least 25 people were reportedly killed and four others injured.

They also recalled attacks in Barkin Ladi and Bokkos LGAs on 28 August, which claimed at least five additional lives, including women.

Beyond the loss of lives, the women expressed concern over the growing vulnerability of women and girls to insecurity and gender-based violence.

They noted that the destruction of farmlands and businesses had threatened livelihoods and household food security, while children and young people continued to suffer displacement, trauma and disruption to their education.

As part of efforts to address the worsening situation, the women called for stronger security measures to safeguard lives and property in vulnerable communities, alongside justice, protection and comprehensive support for survivors of gender-based violence.

They also demanded the restoration of destroyed farmlands, businesses and livelihoods, as well as improved coordination among security agencies and local communities to strengthen civilian protection.

Emphasising the importance of prevention, the women advocated functional early warning and response mechanisms involving women, civil society organisations, traditional rulers and religious leaders.

They further called for meaningful representation of women in peacebuilding initiatives, community security structures and decision-making processes.

The communiqué also stressed the need for accountability for human rights violations, targeted relief for women and children, and public sensitisation campaigns promoting peace and tolerance in both local languages and English.

In addition, the women appealed to governments and development partners to provide increased humanitarian assistance, trauma healing, rehabilitation and sustained support for internally displaced persons.

The women emphasised that they were not merely victims of insecurity but essential partners in conflict prevention, early warning and sustainable peacebuilding.

They urged government authorities, security agencies and development partners to translate their demands into concrete action, stressing that lasting peace in Plateau State could only be achieved through justice, accountability, inclusive leadership and the protection of every community.