2027: NHRC Cautions Against Hate Speech, Violence, Vote-Buying, Calls for Rights-Respecting Polity
By Onwe Wisdom| Pan Afric Reporters
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on politicians, political parties and their supporters to promote restraint, issue-based campaigns and respect for citizens’ rights as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 General Elections.
The call was contained in a statement issued by the commission’s Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, in commemoration of the 2026 International Day of Democracy.
The NHRC is mandated to promote and protect human rights in Nigeria, including through public enlightenment and monitoring of rights-related issues.
Ojukwu said democracy goes beyond the conduct of elections, stressing that it must guarantee the dignity, voice and rights of every citizen.
According to him, democracy represents “the freedom to speak, to choose, to participate, and to hold power accountable without fear.”
As political activities ahead of the 2027 elections intensify, the NHRC chief urged political actors to exercise responsibility in their public statements and avoid rhetoric capable of deepening tensions.
He said democracy should be driven by constructive debate rather than hate speech, inciting statements, ethnic profiling and threats.
“Words can build peace or destroy the nation,” Ojukwu said, urging political parties and candidates to make their campaigns issue-based and shun language capable of inciting violence or undermining national unity.
Ojukwu, who is also President of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa (NNHRI-WA), said the Commission would continue to monitor hate speech and electoral violence in the build-up to the elections.
He also urged eligible Nigerians to actively participate in the electoral process, warning against voter apathy, vote-selling and the belief that individual votes do not count.
“Democracy dies when citizens withdraw, and remain silent,” he said, stressing that the Permanent Voter’s Card remains an important instrument through which citizens exercise their right to choose their leaders.
He therefore encouraged citizens to come out, vote and participate actively in the democratic process, describing the choice of leaders as both a right and a duty to the country.
The NHRC boss called on the Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure a level playing field for all political actors during the electoral process.
He further urged relevant authorities to guarantee the safety of voters, journalists, election observers, human rights defenders and citizens generally.
Ojukwu warned that individuals, regardless of their status or political affiliation, who engage in acts capable of undermining the electoral process should be held accountable under the law.
“Anyone regardless of status or party affiliation, who attempts to make the polity unbearable, who sponsors violence, vote-buying, voter suppression, or attacks on democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 General Elections, must be promptly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.
He added that “impunity remains the greatest threat to democracy.”
Ojukwu further called for a political environment in which citizens can exercise their rights without intimidation, discrimination or fear.
He said the goal should be a democracy that delivers more than periodic elections by ensuring justice, equality, inclusion and respect for human rights.
“In conclusion,” the NHRC Executive Secretary said, there must be a “commitment to a democracy that delivers not just elections, but justice, equality, and human rights for all.”
